China starts campaign to remove 'negative' online contentCEFR A2
6 Oct 2025
Adapted from Oiwan Lam, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Guang Yang, Unsplash
The Cyberspace Administration of China launched a two-month campaign on September 22. The campaign covers social media posts, videos, live streams, hashtags, comments and message boards across many platforms.
Authorities named many kinds of negative content, including family trauma, mockery of bosses and hostility between men and women. Within a week some well-known influencers were banned and their posts were removed. Analysts link the campaign to youth discontent and high youth unemployment.
Difficult words
- campaign — A planned effort to achieve a goal.
- negativity — The state of being negative or unhappy.
- influencer — A person who affects others' decisions.influencers
- content — Information or material shared online.
- society — A group of people living together.
- online — Connected to or available on the internet.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How do you think this campaign will affect online discussions?
- Why is it important to promote optimism among young people?
- What are the potential challenges of reducing negativity online?
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