Cyberspace Administration of China, Provisions for the Administration of Internet Information Search Services

A Search Service provider may not provide information containing content prohibited by laws or regulations in forms such as links, abstracts, snapshots, associative words, related searches and related recommendations (Article 7).

Main contents: If a Search Service provider discovers, in the course of providing the service, a search result with information, websites and applications that clearly contain content prohibited by laws or regulations, it shall cease providing the relevant search result, keep the relevant record and promptly report the same to the state or local cyberspace administration (Article 8).

Search Service providers and their Search Service employees may not seek illegitimate gains through means such as disabling relevant links or providing search results that contain false information (Article 9).

A Search Service provider that provides paid search information services shall verify in accordance with the law the relevant qualifications of clients, expressly state the upper limit on the percentage of a web page that paid search information can take up, prominently differentiate natural search results and paid search information and prominently mark each item of paid search information.

A Search Provider shall comply with relevant laws and regulations when providing commercial advertising information services (Article 11).

A Search Service provider shall post in a prominent location the means of filing complaints and making reports, proactively submit to public scrutiny, promptly handle public complaints and reports and bear the liability for compensation in accordance with the law for the prejudice caused to the rights and interests of users (Article 12).

Promulgated: June 25 2016

Effective: August 1 2016

Applicability: Engagement in internet information search services in the People's Republic of China shall be governed by these Provisions.

For the purposes of these Provisions, the term “internet information search service” (Search Service) means the service of applying computer technology to collect from the internet and process various types of information to make the same available for searching by users (Article 2).

A Search Service provider may not provide information containing content prohibited by laws or regulations in forms such as links, abstracts, snapshots, associative words, related searches and related recommendations (Article 7).

Main contents: If a Search Service provider discovers, in the course of providing the service, a search result with information, websites and applications that clearly contain content prohibited by laws or regulations, it shall cease providing the relevant search result, keep the relevant record and promptly report the same to the state or local cyberspace administration (Article 8).

Search Service providers and their Search Service employees may not seek illegitimate gains through means such as disabling relevant links or providing search results that contain false information (Article 9).

A Search Service provider that provides paid search information services shall verify in accordance with the law the relevant qualifications of clients, expressly state the upper limit on the percentage of a web page that paid search information can take up, prominently differentiate natural search results and paid search information and prominently mark each item of paid search information.

A Search Provider shall comply with relevant laws and regulations when providing commercial advertising information services (Article 11).

A Search Service provider shall post in a prominent location the means of filing complaints and making reports, proactively submit to public scrutiny, promptly handle public complaints and reports and bear the liability for compensation in accordance with the law for the prejudice caused to the rights and interests of users (Article 12).