Goodbye, endless pop-up ads

In recent years, with the rapid development of mobile Internet, mobile browsers have gradually become an important window for netizens to obtain information on a daily basis. However, mobile browsers have grown wildly, and self-media network dissemination has frequently appeared, which has troubled netizens. In response to the strong feedback from netizens, the Cyberspace Administration of China recently carried out a special centralized rectification and supervision of mobile browsers.

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The chaos is frequent and the right remedy is needed

According to the 2019-2020 China Third-Party Mobile Browser Market Monitoring Report, the number of mobile browser users in China was about 682 million in 2019, with a growth rate of 4.4%. As the mobile browser market rapidly expands, various types of network communication chaos are rampant in mobile browsers.

All kinds of unexpected pop-up ads, the popular "shocking style" and "clickbait" of self-media, the vulgar, spoof, pornographic and false news that squeeze in wherever possible, the bad values ​​that permeate soft articles... The wildly growing mobile browsers have become a gathering place and amplifier for the chaos of self-media dissemination, which not only worsens the network environment, but also provides a breeding ground for the growth of bad information and gray industrial chains.

It is reported that in response to the chaos of self-media network communication in the mobile browser market, the Cyberspace Administration of China has focused on solving three prominent problems: first, the release of various Internet news information collected and edited by "self-media" in violation of regulations, such as distorting the interpretation of economic and people's livelihood policies, spreading "rumors", spreading rumors, rehashing old news to fabricate "news", etc.; second, the release of "clickbait" articles, such as malicious exaggeration, "badmouthing", "selling misery", and hype under false names; third, the release of bad information that violates the core socialist values, such as the spread of vulgar pictures, videos, hype of celebrity scandals, privacy and entertainment gossip, etc.

Strike hard and prescribe the right medicine. The Cyberspace Administration of China has put forward clear rectification requirements and specific standards for mobile browsers in this centralized rectification and special supervision, including: not publishing Internet news information collected and edited by "self-media" in violation of regulations, not popping up various types of information released by "self-media", not using gimmicky headlines such as quoting out of context, false exaggeration, attacking and insulting, sensational, etc. to hype hot and sensitive topics, not publishing false information such as fabricated information, rehashed old news, pieced together and edited, based on hearsay, etc., not publishing vulgar, bloody and other bad information, etc.

Cut off the interest chain behind

The first batch of special rectification lists of the Cyberspace Administration of China include 8 influential mobile browsers, including UC, QQ, Huawei, 360, Sogou, Xiaomi, vivo, and OPPO. It is reported that this rectification action is not the first time that mobile browser companies have touched the "red line". Some mobile browser companies have been interviewed and rectified by relevant departments many times before. So why is the chaos of information dissemination in mobile browsers so persistent despite repeated bans?

In fact, behind the seemingly chaotic mobile browser market, there is a complete chain of commercial interests. At present, the Chinese smartphone market is highly competitive. In order to increase profits, mobile phone manufacturers often make a fuss about "software" such as pre-installed or recommended clients, system advertisements, and information flow products. The mobile browser market, with its huge user scale and profit margin, is a "battlefield" for major mobile phone manufacturers.

"For terminal manufacturers, mobile browsers can increase user stickiness, understand user usage habits, and create opportunities for big data monetization. Compared with news clients or social media platforms, mobile browsers are a channel for mobile phone manufacturers to directly connect with users." Yang Guang, general manager of the Industry and Business Cooperation Department of China Mobile Research Institute, believes.

Industry insiders analyzed that mobile browsers are a direct channel for mobile phone manufacturers to recommend information to users. In order to maximize profits, mobile phone manufacturers cooperate with third-party commercial information flow platforms to attract traffic through vulgar and low-quality information, and then realize traffic monetization through advertising, e-commerce, etc. In this profit chain, mobile phone manufacturers do not have the ability to monitor information, and most third-party commercial information flow platforms do not have the qualifications for Internet news information services, which ultimately leads to mobile phone users being constantly disturbed by vulgar and bad information and various advertisements in mobile phone browsers.

Creating a healthy content ecosystem

The relevant person in charge of the Cyberspace Administration of China stressed that all mobile browsers should conduct in-depth self-examination and rectification in accordance with the problem list, learn from past mistakes and comprehensively clean up illegal information and strictly manage "self-media" accounts. At the same time, a system of editor-in-chief responsibility and content review management standards should be established and improved, and effective measures should be taken from the institutional level to effectively prevent the occurrence of problems that disrupt the order of network communication. After the self-examination and rectification is completed, the cyberspace administration department will inspect and evaluate the self-examination and rectification. For mobile browsers that still have outstanding problems after rectification, the relevant businesses will be banned in accordance with laws and regulations. In addition, the cyberspace administration departments of various regions will also conduct a comprehensive investigation of local mobile browsers, and include them in special rectification and supervision and rectification as required.

"This special rectification of eight mobile browsers is a wake-up call for the entire industry." Zhang Yi, Chairman and CEO of iMedia Consulting, believes that the rectification of mobile browsers not only responds to the voice of users, but also prompts various platforms to actively clean up illegal information, standardize content review management, and promote the healthy development of the entire mobile browser industry, thereby standardizing the order of network communication on a larger scale and helping to create a clean and healthy cyberspace. "In the next step, we should supervise the implementation of rectification measures and impose heavy penalties on companies that fail to make rectifications. At the same time, we must strengthen the training and education of relevant practitioners, improve content productivity, judgment and control, and create a positive and healthy content monetization ecosystem."

Industry experts believe that mobile browsers are content aggregation platforms on the mobile Internet, and content is the key to competition among different browsers. This rectification will promote mobile browsers to create a healthy content ecosystem, optimize the order of information dissemination on the network platform, make it more convenient for users to obtain information, and make the network environment cleaner.