China Issues Draft Rules on Digital Humans
Beijing’s cyberspace regulator has released draft regulations to govern the fast-growing digital human sector. The Cyberspace Administration of China announced the proposals on Friday, calling for clear labelling of virtual human content and restrictions on services that could mislead minors or encourage addiction.
Labelling and Restrictions for Minors
The draft rules require all digital human content to carry a visible label. They also prohibit digital humans from offering “virtual intimate relationships” to users under 18. The measures are open for public comment until May 6.
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Protection of Personal Data
The regulations ban the use of personal information to create digital humans without consent. They also forbid using virtual humans to bypass identity verification systems. The move reflects Beijing’s broader effort to maintain control as artificial intelligence technologies advance.
National Security and Content Controls
Digital humans are barred from spreading content that threatens national security, incites subversion, promotes secession, or undermines national unity. Service providers are instructed to resist sexually suggestive material, depictions of horror or cruelty, and discriminatory content based on ethnicity or region.
Safeguards for Users
The draft rules advise providers to intervene when users show signs of suicidal or self-harming behaviour, including offering professional assistance. The regulator emphasised that governance of digital humans is not only an industry issue but also a strategic scientific matter tied to cyberspace security and public interest.
Policy Context
China recently outlined its ambition to expand artificial intelligence across its economy in a new five-year blueprint. The latest draft rules aim to set boundaries for the healthy development of digital humans, ensuring alignment with socialist values while tightening oversight of the industry.