CHINA: China is tightening its grip on the country’s booming influencer industry, this time with a new law that requires online creators to hold valid degrees or professional certifications before they can share content on topics such as medicine, law, education, or finance.
According to Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong, the new regulation, which took effect on October 25, 2025, seeks to delineate personal opinion and professional expertise for public consumption. Influencers who want to post educational or advisory content in these sensitive fields must now prove they are qualified to do so.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which oversees the policy, says the law is designed to curb misinformation and hold creators accountable for any harm caused by false or misleading claims. Platforms like Douyin, which is China’s equivalent of TikTok, Bilibili, and Weibo, have apparently been tasked with implementing new verification systems to ensure compliance. Those who fail to meet the new requirements could face account suspension or fines of up to ¥100,000 (S$18,200), as reported by Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong.
The Daily Mail also reported that, under the same law, advertising for medical products and services will be banned — another move meant to tighten oversight over the types of content promoted online.
Meanwhile, the Economic Times noted that this legislation reflects China’s wider push to “protect users from harmful advice” and to control the influence of online personalities who wield enormous sway over consumer behaviour.
China’s influencer economy is estimated to exceed 1.2 trillion RMB, and some believe this could also be Beijing’s way of nudging people back into traditional careers rather than chasing the allure of internet fame.
Online reactions: Applause, anxiety, and irony
As with most things in the digital world, the new law has triggered an avalanche of mixed reactions online — particularly among global netizens who see the move as a balancing act between responsibility and restriction.
One of the top-rated comments on Reddit, with over 5,000 upvotes, reads: “My first reaction is that it’s draconian. Then I think about COVID and how the far-right conspiracy nutjobs basically took control of the US after a few years of messing with the public’s minds. And I hesitate. Let’s see how it goes.”
The comment captures what many feel: a cautious appreciation for the intent behind the policy, even if it raises red flags about freedom of expression. Some took a more tongue-in-cheek approach. “Is this the war on essential oils?” one user joked, while another quipped, “I would like this for politicians.”
But others raised serious concerns about who decides what counts as expertise, and whether the law could be used to silence independent voices or dissidents. A data architect shared: “I’m decently respected in my field, but have no formal education. Would I be banned from talking [about] statistics? Where’s the line? Can I discuss health or law statistics?”
Another added, “It sounds good until you realise it could be used to jail people the government disagrees with. Again, who’s an influencer? Who decides what’s allowed?”
A delicate balance
For everyday internet users, whether in China or elsewhere, this move reignites the debate over how to manage misinformation in the age of influencers. On one hand, it’s very hard to deny the dangers of unqualified people giving medical or financial advice online, because we see it almost every day! However, on the other, the policy raises uncomfortable questions about freedom of speech, fair enforcement, and the blurry boundary between creator and expert.
As China presses ahead with its strict digital governance, the world will be watching closely to see how this plays out — whether it will become a model for responsible online influence, or yet another tool for tightening state control in the digital space.
For now, one thing’s clear: the influencer world in China just got a lot more complicated and perhaps, a little less spontaneous
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