Five government departments target malpractice in the matchmaking sector

Five government departments have launched a nationwide special campaign to rectify malpractices in the matchmaking agency sector, aiming to safeguard public interests and ensure social stability and the integrity of the credit system.

The campaign, which runs from July through February 2027, is jointly carried out by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration for Market Regulation.

The matchmaking service market has grown rapidly in recent years and has played a positive role in meeting the public's needs for romantic partnerships, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said. However, the sector has also seen a surge in various irregularities and illegal activities, with prominent issues such as fraud committed by fake matchmakers posing as genuine clients, false advertising, and difficulties in obtaining refunds and safeguarding rights — problems that have drawn strong public outcry and widespread social concern.

The ministry highlighted that the ongoing special campaign is an urgent necessity to clean up the industry and respond to public concerns, an important step to address regulatory gaps and break the deadlock in industry oversight, and a vital pillar for building a marriage- and child-friendly society and supporting the national strategy for high-quality population development.

The campaign focuses on seven major categories of misconduct: irregularities in registration and service operations, deceptive marketing practices, fraud involving sham marriage brokers, contractual violations, chaotic fee management, perfunctory screening of critical client information, and the leakage and misuse of personal data, the ministry added.