China tightens grip on influencers: Degrees needed to comment on health, law, finance

China has introduced stringent regulations requiring social media influencers to hold relevant academic degrees and professional licenses before offering advice or commentary on specialised subjects such as health, law, education, and finance.

Effective October 25, 2025, the new rules, announced by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), aim to curb the growing spread of misinformation and unverified expertise online. 

The move is part of Beijing’s broader effort to tighten control over digital content and ensure that professional knowledge shared on the internet is accurate and credible.

Crackdown on misleading online content

Under the new guidelines, individuals presenting themselves as doctors, lawyers, teachers, or financial advisors must publicly display proof of their qualifications before posting related advice. 

Experts believe this policy will enhance transparency and accountability in China’s social media ecosystem, where self-proclaimed ‘“experts”’ have often misled audiences with dubious or false information.

Platforms such as WeChat (with over 1.3 billion monthly users), Douyin (700 million users), Weibo (600 million users), and Xiaohongshu or Little Red Book (300 million users) will now be held jointly responsible for verifying creators’ credentials and ensuring factual accuracy in their content. Influencers spreading false or misleading information could face strict penalties under the new rules.

Accountability for platforms

The CAC, China’s top internet watchdog and censor, will oversee enforcement. The regulator emphasised that the guidelines are designed to uphold national security, social stability, and the implementation of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) policies in the digital sphere.

Proof and transparency requirements

Content creators must now provide research evidence or verifiable sources to support the information they share. They are also required to disclose the use of AI-generated content in their videos or posts. In addition, the CAC has banned advertisements for medical products, dietary supplements, and health foods that are disguised as educational or informational material.

These new measures reflect China’s continuing effort to maintain tight oversight over online discourse and ensure that digital platforms align with the state’s objectives of accuracy, order, and ideological control.