China’s top cyberspace regulator announced on Monday that it has achieved marked progress in the first phase of a campaign to rectify improper AI application practices, with over 14,000 artificial intelligence products including websites, apps and AI agents removed from cyberspace.
The “Qinglang Operation” on rectifying improper AI application practices, initiated by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) in April 2026, focused on ferreting out violations such as failure to comply with large AI model registration requirements, insufficient safety review and content filtering on AI platforms, AI data poisoning, and inadequate labeling of AI-generated and synthesized content.
The regulator has set up a dedicated reporting platform to receive public complaints regarding AI-related abuses.
During the first phase of the campaign, the authorities have removed over 14,000 non-compliant AI products, cleaned up more than 6 million pieces of illegal and harmful information, and suspended over 26,000 accounts. More than 1,300 non-compliant AI-related merchandise listings and nine illegal open-source datasets were also taken down.
Local internet regulatory authorities have implemented targeted measures based on regional conditions. Beijing city has established a coordinated mechanism combining platform self-inspection, routine monitoring, technical screening and case verification, leading to the swift removal of non-compliant AI applications and accounts. Shanghai refined regulatory approach by platform type and upgraded reporting mechanisms.
East China’s Zhejiang Province has carried out targeted rectifications on model auditing capabilities, training data security and AI data poisoning prevention. East China’s Jiangsu Province has opened a special reporting channel covering five categories of violations. South China’s Guangdong Province has established a multi-department coordination mechanism to conduct full-chain governance.
Major platforms have strengthened their compliance efforts. Huawei has added special reviews for generative AI service registrations and labeling in its app store. Alibaba has improved digital fingerprint comparison and keyword interception mechanisms to enhance content identification accuracy. Zhipu has developed a multimodal auditing model for complex scenarios, while DeepSeek has embedded anomaly detection algorithms in data collection and preprocessing to prevent manipulation.
The CAC has announced that the second phase of the campaign will focus on curbing the misuse of AI to produce and disseminate disinformation, spread violent and vulgar content, impersonate others, infringe upon minors’ rights, and engage in online astroturfing activities.
The authorities will intensify penalty for non-compliant accounts and institutions, strengthen oversight of key AI application areas, and urge platforms to improve their AI governance to maintain a clean cyberspace and promote the sound development of AI.
“Qinglang Operation” is an annual initiative aimed to create a cleaner, safer cyber environment, according to the Xinhua News Agency. (Xinhua/GSF)
