Society & Culture / Media & Communication / Social Media & Online Culture

The Art of Balance Rethinking Content Regulation and Compliance Issues for Private Internet

Ma Aifang

Rethinking Content Regulation and Compliance Issues for Private Internet Companies in China This paper deeply examines the compromise strategies adopted by China’s private internet companies between strict content regulation and the pursuit of commercial interests. Based on an analysis of Tencent’s news push data during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, author Ma Aifang argues that enterprises do not blindly obey authorities. Instead, they exploit ambiguities in regulatory rules to survive in a constrained environment through tactics such as "pretending to comply" or "delaying compliance." The study emphasizes that internet companies skillfully mitigate the negative impact of compliance pressure on traffic and revenue by prioritizing positive, entertainment-oriented content or grassroots anti-epidemic stories that align with public preferences. These practices are vividly described as "weapons of the weak," revealing how firms maximize their interests through low-visibility evasive tactics amid the delicate interplay between state and market.