Online course platform supervision urgently requires a normalized law enforcement system
Interlocutor
Zhu Wei, Deputy Director, Communication Law Research Center, China University of Political Science and Law
Zheng Ning, Dean of Law Department, School of Cultural Industry Management, Communication University of China
"Rules of Law Daily" reporter Chen Lei
"Rule of Law Daily" trainee reporter Liu Ziwei
Clarify the responsibilities of the supervisory authority
Create a clear space for online classes
Reporter: At present, online "cloud classroom" has become the main channel for students to learn during the epidemic prevention and control period. However, some website platforms ignore social responsibilities and repeatedly use online classes to promote online games, making friends, and even spread pornographic, violent, and fraudulent information. The majority of students, especially minors, are physically and mentally healthy. In order to effectively solve the prominent problems of the online course platform involving minors, the Central Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Education recently launched a two-month special rectification of the online course platform involving minors. The background and significance of the two departments' move is very worthy of attention.
Zhu Wei: The background of the special rectifications carried out by the two departments. One is that during the anti-epidemic prevention and control period, students are all taking classes online, and "Internet + education" has become popular; the other is that there is a lot of chaos on the online course platform. Some time ago, CCTV It has been reported that there were online game advertisements during online classes, and some obscene and pornographic content appeared during online classes. After this series of problems came out, they aroused the concern of the majority of parents and became a social problem.
This time the two departments have launched a special rectification of the online course platform, which can be said to be aimed at the normalized existence of "Internet + education" and realizes normalized supervision. "Internet + education" is on the right track, and supervision is also on the right track. In addition, in addition to the education management department, there are also the network information management department for the special rectification of the online course platform. They conduct joint supervision and solve the problem of inter-departmental supervision responsibilities.
Zheng Ning: According to the National Research Report on Internet Usage by Minors in 2019, 46% of minor netizens in my country have encountered various types of bad information. Among them, showing off the richest information accounted for the highest proportion, followed by obscenity, bloody violence, and negative thoughts.
According to a report released by the China Internet Network Information Center, as of March this year, the number of online education users in China has reached 423 million, an increase of 82% from June last year. The continuous heating up of the online education market is not only reflected in the growth of the user scale, related companies have also sprung up. Data shows that from January to July this year, a total of 25,000 online education companies were registered and established, an average of 120 new ones were added every day.
As an emerging industry, online courses are currently in a stage to be improved from platform competition mechanisms to regulatory rules. This multi-departmental two-month special rectification of online education platforms involving minors is actually a process of perfecting rules and clarifying development boundaries, which is conducive to the clarification of responsibilities of various regulatory agencies and also helps various platforms to form a clearer Development expectations.
In addition, on March 1 this year, the "Regulations on the Ecological Governance of Online Information Content" came into effect, requiring online information content producers and content service platforms to take measures to prevent minors from obtaining illegal and harmful information.
In the long run, the popularization of online courses is the general trend. It is no longer limited to special phases like the epidemic prevention and control period. It is also destined to be regulated. It requires special rectification for a specific period of time, as well as long-term Normalized supervision of effective mechanisms. To create a clear and clear online classroom space for minors, I believe that special rectification is just the beginning.
Reporter: It is worth noting that the relevant departments have carried out relevant special rectifications before this, but such phenomena have continued to be repeatedly prohibited.
Zheng Ning: The main reason is the lack of superimposed supervision driven by interests. Driven by interests, advertisers and online platforms only see the "bounced" economic benefits, but leave the user experience behind. On the other hand, the network platform only undertakes the publishing function but does not discriminate the content and form, and lack supervision. The management methods of the relevant regulatory agencies are relatively lagging behind, and there are problems of headaches and feet.
Zhu Wei: Although there have been rectification activities before, the scope of rectification platforms is limited to specialized education platforms, and the exposure of the problem is not particularly comprehensive. This time the scope is broader. As long as there is online education behavior, rectification Within the range.
Improve relevant laws and regulations
Classification and supervision
Reporter: According to the rectification requirements, various website platforms that open online courses for minors must earnestly assume the main responsibility for information content management; they must strictly review the courses to ensure that the orientation is correct; open the comment interactive function to establish information content "review first, then review “Post” system; to strengthen the ecological management around the online course pages, and no content that harms the physical and mental health of minors; no pop-up windows are allowed to induce clicks on pages that are not suitable for minors; no advertising information unrelated to learning is allowed; no public welfare The nature of online courses seek commercial benefits. In response to these rectification contents, the responsibilities of the relevant entities of the family, school, platform, and cyberspace administration should be clearly divided.
Zheng Ning: Parents, as the guardians of their children, should pay attention when choosing a learning platform and try to choose a green and healthy high-quality platform. If it is not a platform specifically for young people, choose carefully. Relevant cybersecurity and informatization management departments have set up platforms for reporting illegal and unhealthy information. Parents who discover illegal and unhealthy information can report and complain in accordance with the law.
Schools must also strictly control the selection of cooperation platforms, carry out network safety education in a timely manner, and communicate relevant situations with parents in a timely manner.
The online course platform shall strictly abide by the Cyber Security Law, the Law on the Protection of Minors, the "Regulations on the Ecological Governance of Online Information Content" and other laws, regulations and rules, perform the main responsibility of information content management, establish an ecological governance mechanism for online information content, and improve user registration and account numbers. Information handling systems such as management, information release review, post comment review, online rumors, etc.; it is forbidden to display online information content columns, special areas, and products that specifically serve minors that may cause minors to imitate unsafe behaviors and violations Unhealthy information such as social ethical behavior and inducing minors' bad habits, etc., is prohibited from sexually suggestive and other harmful information. The network platform should balance the relationship between platform development based on user stickiness, undertaking corporate social responsibility and promoting social ethics. The protection of minors is a social issue, and whether the platform can play a role in it is crucial.
Relevant regulatory agencies should clarify their functions and responsibilities based on full investigations, improve laws and regulations, achieve precise and joint law enforcement, and strengthen the supervision of online platforms and advertisers.
Zhu Wei: The division of responsibilities, first of all, is the division of supervision responsibilities between management departments. The network information department is in charge of network security, including information security, data security, and content security. The education management department is responsible for the supervision of the vertical education field. The two are two aspects of the same problem. The school is also very important. It is not allowed to make students and parents pay attention to some unqualified platforms by doing commercial promotion for others. At the same time, it is not allowed to use the influence on students to recommend commercial advertisements, including the "Internet + education" network platform. Advertise on minors.
Reporter: During the special rectification period, the local cybersecurity and informatization departments and education administrative departments will further increase the enforcement and penalties for violations of laws and regulations on online education platforms involving minors, and deal with illegal websites in accordance with the principle of hitting the spotlight and being strict. Platform and related institutions, it is urgent to establish a normalized law enforcement system in accordance with the law.
Zheng Ning: It is recommended to continue to improve relevant laws and regulations, to set different review obligations and classified supervision for different platforms, and to jointly carry out normalized law enforcement by multiple departments.
The special online course platform involves more strict supervision of online education services for students than other services for adults. It is best to adopt a hierarchical filtering system and increase personnel input in content review. The "Regulations on Ecological Governance of Network Information Content" have required each platform to formulate review rules on its own. Currently, the opening of an online education section on a network platform that focuses on social networking and games is still in a regulatory gap, and it is urgent to improve relevant management regulations.