Online cult activity faces tougher punishments

China has stepped up efforts to punish those who promote cults online and via social media, in accordance with China's latest judicial interpretation on cult-related crime.

The internet and social media outlets have become prominent platforms for cult members to preach their ideologies in recent years. To ensure such new criminal activities can be clearly targeted by law, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate jointly released the judicial interpretation on Wednesday.

According to Chinese law, a cult is an illegal organization that tries to control people by deifying the sect leader; deludes members under the guise of religion or in other names; and engages in activities that harm society.