To The Moon

Beijing is taking the lead in regulating internet marketing through industry self-discipline. Recently, the Municipal Market Supervision Administration organized eight leading internet enterprises, including Baidu, Jindouyin, TENCENT, KUAISHOU-W, JD-SW, MEITUAN-W, 360, and Phoenix Net, to jointly sign the "Internet Marketing Promotion Self-Discipline Convention" (hereafter "the Convention"), pushing platform companies to proactively fulfill their primary responsibilities, providing an executable and verifiable self-discipline framework for the healthy and orderly development of the industry, and helping build a truthful, transparent, fair, and orderly internet marketing ecosystem.

The Convention was formulated in accordance with the Advertising Law, E-Commerce Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, Consumer Rights Protection Law, Internet Advertising Management Measures, and other laws and regulations. It applies to acts of publishing commercial advertisements and conducting marketing promotions through text, short videos, live streaming, and other forms, and establishes four self-discipline principles: value orientation, authenticity, fair competition, and safety compliance.

The Convention sets clear requirements for the entire process of platform marketing promotion: 1. In qualification management, platforms must verify the identity of relevant entities, business qualifications, and administrative license documents, establish business files and update them regularly, with electronic data retained for no less than 3 years; 2. In content management, platforms must establish a review mechanism of "pre-event qualification and content review, in-process monitoring, and post-event inspection"; 3. In live streaming marketing, live e-commerce platforms must fulfill the obligation to review institutional and individual qualifications, strengthen monitoring of live streaming footage through inspections and patrols, and promptly handle violations; 4. In the application of emerging technologies, when using AI deep synthesis technology for commercial promotion, platforms must clearly label it and must not use AI to create false information, conduct false endorsements, or infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of others; 5. In competitive order, platforms must not conduct promotional claims that are inconsistent with facts or misleading, must not promote unreasonable low prices, lower the prices of goods or services, reduce consumers' psychological expectations, or affect the quality of industry development; 6. In consumer rights protection, platforms must establish convenient complaint channels and promptly and properly handle consumer disputes; 7. In minor protection, platforms must not publish marketing content that harms the physical and mental health of minors, induces improper consumption, or contains unsafe behavior guidance.

In addition, the Convention clarifies qualification rules and promotional standards for key industries such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, health foods, education and training, financial management, and real estate. At the same time, it refines agreements on advertising norms such as ad identifiability, absolute language, misleading "large and small text" promotions, and citation source labeling.

The signing platforms stated that they will strictly comply with laws and regulations and the provisions of the Convention, establish and improve compliance systems, enhance internal coordination and external communication mechanisms, actively cooperate with relevant authorities in taking necessary measures against illegal and non-compliant acts, provide assistance data, and assist in law enforcement.