China's TMT Sector in 2021: A Year of Full Regulatory Strengthening

January 14, 2022 | BY

Susan Mok

Throughout 2021, China's legislative and enforcement authorities accelerated their all-encompassing regulation of the country's TMT sector, from anti-monopoly enforcement against internet platform giants to further crackdowns on cryptocurrencies, as well as tightening controls on the Internet content industry and online games. Casper Sek of Jingtian & Gongcheng discusses these challenges and the broader context of the regulators' continuing positive attitude towards new technology and overarching goal of safeguarding national security.

Summary :

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  • In 2021, China's anti-monopoly enforcement agencies have imposed severe penalties on large internet platform companies for their monopolistic activities.
  • China, adopted a more aggressive regulatory approach to control the use of automated technologies requiring the algorithms to protect the rights of workers and consumers and prohibit the use of algorithms to manipulate user accounts, online traffic, or search results.
  • The Chinese government has been conservative about decentralized cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and intensified its crackdown on cryptocurrencies and related industries in 2021.

In the face of new technologies and concepts (e.g., the metaverse) emerging in the TMT sector, China's regulation of this sector has entered a more comprehensive and in depth phase

In 2021, while the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic created challenges for the economy, it is also generated steady business growth for companies in the technology, media and entertainment, and telecommunications (TMT) sector. In the face of new technologies and concepts (e.g., the metaverse) emerging in the TMT sector, China's regulation of this sector has entered a more comprehensive and in depth phase.

Anti-monopoly enforcement in the field of internet platform economy

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