Internet regulator seeks public opinion on fighting cyberbullying

A draft regulation on combating cyberbullying began soliciting public opinion from Friday, as part of China's new plan to purify online environment and protect people's legitimate rights.

The draft document, formulated by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's top internet regulator, has been disclosed online.

Residents can not only provide suggestions about the draft through websites — www.moj.gov.cn or www.chinalaw.gov.cn, but also can send their ideas through postal or e-mail addresses, according to the administration.

The deadline for collecting opinions is Aug 6.

As a global hot issue, cyberbullying has frequently made media headlines in recent years. The new draft focuses on fighting bullies by clarifying responsibilities and duties of internet service providers, as well as by urging them to take prevention measures and strengthen supervision on their platforms.

The draft requires internet service providers to intensify reviews on contents of livestreaming and short videos to block information suspected of cyberbullying in a timely manner.

It also orders the providers to set up early-warning systems to figure out online bullying as quickly as they can, with quick reporting channels for victims to protect themselves.

On June 9, China's top judicial authorities — the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, along with the Ministry of Public Security, also solicited public opinions on a guideline against cyberbullying, so as to fight relevant violations and crimes effectively. The solicitation ended on June 25.