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On December 26 2025, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued the Measures for the Classification of Online Information that may Affect the Physical and Mental Health of Minors (the Measures). The Measures clarify the types and scope for online information that may affect the physical and mental health of minors (the Online Information Affecting Minors).
The Measures define the Online Information Affecting Minors as information published and disseminated online which is likely to cause or induce minors to imitate unsafe behaviour, engage in conduct that violates public morality, develop extreme emotions, or form unhealthy habits, exclusive of the illegal information containing content harmful to the physical and mental health of minors as stipulated by laws and regulations.
Under the Measures, Online Information Affecting Minors is classified into four categories:
- information that is likely to cause or induce minors to imitate or engage in misconduct;
- information that may negatively influence the values of minors;
- information that improperly uses the minors' images; and
- information that improperly discloses or uses minors' personal information.
The Measures require that organisations and individuals who produce, copy, publish, or disseminate Online Information Affecting Minors must display a prominent warning in an obvious position before presenting such information. No organisations or individuals are permitted to produce, copy, publish, or disseminate Online Information Affecting Minors in online products and services that are specifically targeted at minors. Online product and service providers must adopt preventive measures for any dissemination of Online Information Affecting Minors, which includes not placing such information on, for example, any pop-ups, the first screen of a homepage or other prominent positions of their products or services which may easily attract users attention. They must also provide users with a labelling function to add warnings for any information which would be classed as Online Information Affecting Minors.
Furthermore, the Measures provide that where offering algorithmic recommendations or generative AI services, providers must establish safety systems and adopt technical measures to ensure it does not display to minors any Online Information Affecting Minors.
The Measures take effect from March 1 2026.
The press release is available here and the FAQs here (both available in Mandarin only).
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
