BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts to regulate content labeling on short-form video platforms, aiming to address inconsistencies in marking standards and curb the spread of unlabeled fictional, staged and artificial intelligence-generated content, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission has announced.

The office has guided platform operators to adopt standardized labeling practices. Over the past month, six major short-form video platforms have removed more than 37,000 short videos involving staged performances and other violations, dealt with over 3,400 violative accounts, and added supplementary labels to more than 600,000 short videos.

According to the office, platforms have been instructed to standardize the categories of labels used for short-form video content and make labeling a mandatory step in the publishing process. Users are now required to indicate the nature of the content they upload. In addition, platforms are adding labels to previously published content to ensure all eligible videos are properly marked.

Moving forward, the office said it will roll out the initiative nationwide with clear timelines and operational requirements, accompanied by enhanced oversight and evidence-gathering efforts. Platforms and accounts that fail to comply with labeling requirements or fulfill their responsibilities will be penalized and publicly named.