Fortune-telling ads banned in China
(Agencies/Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-02-01 09:08

China has targeted fortune-telling as its next target in a crackdown on illegal telephone content after going after phone sex.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television had banned advertisements on "birthday decoding" and "new year fortune-telling" text messages and telephone services on the grounds they promoted superstition, Xinhua News Agency reported on its Web site.

"Advertisements that harm young minds or violate regulations will be banned immediately," Xinhua quoted the administration as saying in a statement.

The administration banned fortune-telling advertisements after receiving complaints about advertisements involving superstition on some TV channels.

Interest in traditional fortune-telling spikes every year around the start of the Lunar New Year.

The Year of the Rooster begins Feb. 9.

Many people, especially in Southeast China, seek geomancy masters' guidance on financial, career and personal matters.

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