China online crime crackdown

In early August 2026, Chinese central authorities announced a year‑long "deepening sweep against black and evil forces" that would expand earlier anti‑crime campaigns by targeting organized crime operating through internet platforms and employing "soft‑violence" tactics such as online extortion, illegal lending, fake‑news manipulation and coordinated harassment. The operation, overseen by the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, also aims at traditional criminal groups involved in drugs, gambling and prostitution.

Within a day, the Ministry of Public Security reported concrete enforcement actions: more than 8,000 cases of online rumors investigated, over 23,000 illegal accounts shut down and half a million pieces of harmful information removed. Platforms such as Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) permanently banned thousands of accounts for AI‑generated toxic animations, soft‑porn services targeting minors and self‑harm‑encouraging content, deleting tens of thousands of posts and comments. These measures are part of a broader "net‑cleaning" initiative coordinated with the Central Cyberspace Administration to protect personal data, curb misinformation and create a safer online environment.

Together, the announcements and subsequent enforcement illustrate a rapid escalation from policy declaration to large‑scale operational actions against online‑facilitated crime and harmful content in China.