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China Cracks Down on Digital Humans
3 Apr
Summary
- New regulations require clear labeling for virtual humans.
- Services targeting minors with virtual intimacy are banned.
- Personal data use for digital humans needs explicit consent.

China's cyberspace regulator has introduced draft regulations to govern the development of digital humans online. These proposed rules, open for public comment until May 6, require prominent "digital human" labels on all related content. They explicitly prohibit offering "virtual intimate relationships" to individuals under 18 and ban using personal information to create digital humans without consent.
The regulations also prevent virtual humans from disseminating content that threatens national security, incites subversion, or undermines national unity. Service providers must actively guard against sexually suggestive material, horror, cruelty, and discrimination. They are also encouraged to intervene and offer professional help to users exhibiting suicidal or self-harming tendencies.
These initiatives align with China's broader ambition to integrate AI across its economy, as outlined in a recent five-year policy blueprint. The new rules seek to establish clear boundaries for the digital human industry, ensuring its healthy development and alignment with the country's socialist values. The cyberspace regulator emphasizes that governing virtual humans is a strategic scientific issue vital for cyberspace security and the digital economy's growth.