Bilibili suspended 1874 livestream rooms in recent month

Bilibili, the most popular ACG-themed video streaming platform in China, published its announcement on managing livestream ecology back on April 13. Since then, the platform has cumulatively dealt with video title/cover violations 40480 times, livestream content violations 8986 times, and banned 1874 livestream rooms, according to Bilibili’s recent announcement.

Bilibili attracts audiences of all ages, therefore the platform sees protecting audiences from harmful content as its critical mission. As a part of Bilibili’s ongoing mission to manage platform ecology, several livestream behaviors will continue to be targeted, including luring the audience with vulgar titles and covers, showing seductive and naked scenes, deliberately dressing in a “vulgar or exposing manner”, and attracting attention through performances of actions against public order and morality.

Protection of minors on the internet has grown to be a top priority for video platforms in China. Previously, several government agencies jointly published guidance on regulating livestreams and increasing protection for the young. According to the guidance, the lack of responsibility of platforms, mixed quality of livestream hosts, disorderly tipping behaviors, and other problems have resulted in minors indulging in livestreams and participating in tipping. The physical and mental health of minors has been seriously damaged.

The guidance calls for optimization, inspection, and increase of content suitable for minors. Specifically, the guidance states that 20:00 to 22:00 is the peak time for minors to access the Internet, therefore, in those hours, “livestream hosts battling with each other” should be banned.

Since March 11, Douyin, a short video platform with livestream functions, has suspended a total of 59 livestream hosts for inappropriate livestream battling, including 23 hosts with more than a million followers, according to Douyin’s recent announcement.