New regulations from China’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC) governing content creators across multiple platforms take effect today, prohibiting 11 specific online activities the regulator says are used to spread rumors and incite public division.

The “Provisions on the Management of Multichannel Distribution Services for Internet Information Content” were issued by the CAC and four other government agencies in May and target what the agency calls tactics for stirring up social antagonism, triggering regional discrimination or provoking public anger. Banned content includes posts that fabricate topics to confuse the public, spread fake or speculative information, “maliciously collect and rehash negative information,” or recycle old news in ways that mislead audiences.

The rules also set new limits for younger creators. Under the provisions, minors under 16 are barred from hosting livestreams entirely. Those between 16 and 18 must complete age verification and obtain parental or guardian consent before they can livestream.

The rollout follows recent enforcement action by China’s cyber police, who punished two internet users for derogatory posts mocking a village official over a dispute involving gold earrings, according to the South China Morning Post.

The provisions apply broadly to multichannel distribution organizations, the public accounts they work with and the platforms hosting them, establishing rules for an ecosystem the CAC describes as increasingly cross-platform and matrix-based.

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