The Cyberspace Administration of China has deployed a special campaign titled "Qinglang: Cracking Down on Online Rumors in Science Popularization and Health"

To further strengthen the rectification of prominent online rumor issues in the fields of science popularization and health, and to foster a clean and upright cyberspace, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) recently issued a notice deploying a two-month nationwide special campaign titled "Qinglang: Cracking Down on Online Rumors in Science Popularization and Health." A responsible official from the CAC stated that this special campaign focuses on rectifying the following four prominent problems: (1) Fabricating online rumors in the field of science popularization and health to mislead netizens. First, under the guise of caring for public health, packaging ordinary foods and health supplements as "miracle drugs," promoting so-called "cure-all" folk remedies, publishing pseudoscientific information, and exploiting aesthetic anxiety to create rumors about exercise and weight loss such as "berberine is a miracle weight-loss drug." Second, deliberately exaggerating the side effects of foods, drugs, and daily necessities, pairing them with exaggerated and alarming headlines, and fabricating rumors lacking scientific basis or taken out of context, such as "long-term use of blood pressure medication makes blood vessels brittle," "blood donation harms the body," "heated MSG is toxic," and "crystallized honey is inedible," thereby creating anxiety and panic. Third, under the names of "scientific rumor refutation" and "the truth about modern medicine," publishing extreme and absolute assertions such as "certain foods are all IQ taxes," "a certain routine examination is completely unnecessary," and "definitely carcinogenic," using language like "revealing suppressed truths" and "secret recipes doctors won't tell you" to deny authoritative institutions, and even encouraging self-diagnosis and refusal of medical treatment, thereby misleading the public. Fourth, under the banners of "ancient health preservation methods," "ancient parenting methods," and "quintessential Chinese health preservation," advocating "vegetarianism from the womb" and "Chinese people don't need protein," selectively interpreting or even maliciously distorting traditional culture, and spreading feudal superstition through "energy metaphysics" and "destiny-based healing." (2) Impersonating professional identities to spread pseudoscientific views. First, impersonating professionals or staff of legitimate institutions in the medical and health fields, with departed personnel continuing to use their former employer and position information for verification, and illegally conducting online health science popularization. Second, creating so-called "National Level-1 Health Care Physicians" and "National Level-1 Nutritionists," or posing in professional attire in hospitals, consultation rooms, and other settings to disseminate "food therapy" and "folk remedies" lacking scientific basis. Third, packaging fake experts and "prophets," fabricating pseudoscientific concepts such as "quantum empowerment" and "cosmic energy," and peddling counterfeit and inferior products. Fourth, under the names of "internet-famous masters" and "enlightened masters," claiming to possess "energy metaphysics codes" that can cure diseases and avert disasters, and illegally profiting from the anxiety of certain groups. (3) Abusing AI technology to generate health science popularization rumors. First, using AI technology to mass-generate homogenized health science popularization copy, images, and audio/video, creating fake public opinion hot spots and promoting related products. Second, using AI face-swapping and voice-changing technology to steal the images and voices of well-known experts for fake science popularization and product promotion. Third, inducing AI large models to generate and spread rumors such as fake "mortality rates" and "survival rates" and false scientific data, and using the opportunity to sell health supplements. Fourth, using AI to generate forged authoritative notices, official health tips, and images and video information exaggerating therapeutic effects, thereby misleading netizens. (4) Fabricating rehabilitation cases and exaggerating therapeutic effects to lure consumers into fraud through private-domain channels. First, under the pretext of "personal experience," "patient recovery stories," "ancestral secret recipes," and "expert private instruction," fabricating false stories and rehabilitation cases, claiming "100% effective" and "never relapses," and providing so-called before-and-after comparison images and chat screenshots to exaggerate efficacy, luring people into private-domain channels such as direct messages and group chats for fraud. Second, excessively hyping the nutritional components of foods and health preservation products, exaggerating the functions of medical devices, and conducting marketing and product promotion. Third, under the packaging of "expert private-domain lectures" and "member exclusives," conducting false advertising in private-domain settings such as community groups, and deceiving elderly consumers through methods such as giving gifts, red envelopes, and emotional manipulation. At the same time, cyberspace authorities will take the following governance measures: First, intensify the investigation and punishment of violating accounts and institutions. Strictly handle illegal and non-compliant accounts that generate and spread online rumors in health science popularization and disrupt online ecological order. Strengthen identity and qualification verification and authentication for medical science popularization and other accounts, require clear display of account qualification information, prohibit vague hints such as labeling "physician at a certain hospital" or "expert in a certain field" in account bios, and strictly label the sources of medical science popularization information. Second, strengthen the management of key links. Strictly prohibit pushing science popularization and health rumor information in rankings, recommendations, and other positions. Establish keyword libraries and typical case libraries for science popularization rumor information, expand the pool of authoritative science popularization content, promptly add rumor-refutation labels, and strengthen the reach of rumor-refutation information through pop-up windows, private messages, and other reminders. Third, enhance platforms' AI prevention and control capabilities. Urge platforms to improve their ability to discover, identify, and handle AI-generated and synthesized science popularization and health rumor information, strengthen detection of AI face-swapping, voice-changing, and virtual human images and deep synthesis forgery identification, and achieve automated identification of content impersonating professionals in relevant fields. The responsible official from the CAC emphasized that cyberspace authorities in all localities must fully recognize the significance of carrying out the special campaign, effectively fulfill their territorial management responsibilities, strengthen departmental coordination and linkage, form a joint force for rectification work, supervise website platforms to conduct in-depth self-examination and self-correction against the rectification priorities by focusing on key links and sections, comprehensively investigate problems and loopholes, regularly release typical cases to the public, strengthen the warning and deterrent effect, help the majority of netizens better identify online rumors in the field of science popularization and health, and refrain from creating, believing, or spreading rumors, ensuring that the special campaign achieves practical results. This article is reprinted from the "CAC China" WeChat public account. GMTEight editor: Chen Wenfang.