Zhejiang Province, ‘leading China’s high-tech’, says “Online platform ‘traffic power’ must be regulated”

Some platforms neglect false and vulgar content... Need to strengthen institutional binding

(Beijing = Yonhap News) Correspondent Jeong Seong-jo = Eastern Zhejiang Province, which has emerged as a leading region in China's high-tech science and technology field, announced its position that the 'traffic (data transmission volume or number of visitors) power' of online platforms should be regulated.

According to Chinese media on the 11th, the Communist Party of China's Zhejiang Province Committee recently posted on its official social media account a post titled "'Traffic power' should not be left to its own devices," and pointed out, "If one platform simultaneously seizes core powers such as traffic distribution, content screening, and user data management, and makes its own commercial interests the top consideration in decision-making, it will undermine the fair order of cyberspace."

The Zhejiang Provincial Committee then emphasized that "traffic in the public domain is not the private property of the platform, but a kind of 'quasi-public power'" and that "effective norms and restrictions are needed."

The Zhejiang Provincial Committee explained that when a topic suddenly becomes a popular search term, it may not be due to the user's choice but the choice of the online platform, and that the ranking of popular search terms and top exposure are adjusted through traffic transactions.

In addition, the Zhejiang Provincial Committee said, "Some very large platforms, holding the 'life and death power' of traffic, are 'favoriting' and recommending meaningless short dramas, emotional short texts, and sensational videos, and are allowing false and vulgar content to spread. Those who hold platform resources appear to be able to control public opinion, and some wanghong (influencers) use their influence to lead public opinion whenever a hot issue arises. “There is,” he criticized.

The Zhejiang Provincial Committee suggested, "There is a need to further clarify the power boundaries of the platform and strengthen institutional binding force," and added, "The key gateway to strengthening platform governance is to strengthen supervision and management of platform rules. Instead of leaving the platform as a 'traffic monopoly,' the entire decision-making process should be included in the field of supervision and management."

In addition, in the case of strict measures such as account suspension and permanent speech ban, they also raised their voices that there should be a manual human review process in addition to the platform's algorithmic decision, and that the platform should also crack down on the practice of unfairly collecting fees by using traffic power.

The Zhejiang Provincial Committee added, "In order to prevent 'blind manipulation' of the platform in terms of external supervision and management, the participation of pluralistic social forces such as the public, experts, scholars, media, industry associations, and third-party organizations is necessary."