The 10 commandments of Wechat: new rules for what you can and can’t post

WeChat, the most popular messaging app and social network in China with 468 million monthly active users, yesterday set in stone 10 rules for users posting to the app’s news feed, called Moments in English (h/t to 36kr for spotting).

An article from the WeChat Security Center says the service will "resolutely crack down on all kinds of illegal content and behavior." The rules are pretty much what you would expect and are probably mentioned in some form within the app’s end user license agreement, although some are notably specific. WeChat states it has implemented a revamped complaint and reporting mechanism to find and punish abusers.

The first few are pretty basic and similar to what you would find on other social networks like Facebook: invasion of privacy, fraud, plagiarism, porn, violent content, gambling, scams, etc. But the latter few are more specific and aim to tackle specific problems.

• Thou shalt not infringe. Copyright and trademark infringement are obviously against the rules, but also under this rule’s umbrella is the banishment of fake accounts. This falls in line with Weibo’s cleanup of 60,000 "misleading" accounts last month, including celebrity impersonation and parody accounts. Plagiarism, libel, protection of corporate trade secrets, and invasion of privacy also fall under this rule.
• Thou shalt not be erotic. No sending porn or sexually suggestive content in order to attract users.
• Thou shalt not be violent. Torture, abuse, and killing of people and animals are off limits. Depictions of drug use, self mutilation, and other "disturbing content" are also no-nos. Lethal weapons, imitation or otherwise, are not allowed to be sold without proper qualifications. Guns, bows and arrows, knives, air guns, and other firearms are included.
• Thou shalt not gamble. Organizing a poker night with your buddies? Think again. The sale of gambling equipment, organizing gambling, and teaching gambling techniques is not allowed.
• Thou shalt not scam. Don’t post links to phishing sites or spread viruses. Self-explanatory.
• Thou shalt not organize crime. This one includes banning "mafia-type content," including hiring or luring users into gangs and terrorist cells.
• Thou shalt not counterfeit. China is full of fakes, and WeChat has specifically listed a few of the items users are not allowed to advertise. They include counterfeit money, cigarettes, stolen goods, fake IDs, credit cards, and false invoices.
• Thou shalt not false advertise. Cash-prize contests, pyramid schemes, exaggerated weight loss pills, breast enlargement, skin whitening products, and fake medicine are all listed under the fake advertising rule. Illegal goods and services are also laid out here, including ivory, drugs, prostitution, and human organs.
• Thou shalt not make empty promises Posts that promise rewards for resharing links are banned. These include lotteries and pyramid schemes. Posts that attempt to bully users into spreading content – "share it or you’re unpatriotic", or "share it if you value your safety" – are out of the question.

Thou shalt not lie

This is the rule that treads the line from being in the best interests of users to being in the best interests of the government. The phrasing looks very similar to the Communist Party’s rhetoric when it comes to censorship and the war on rumors.

The "dissemination of content that is opposed to the basic principles of China’s Constitution, socialist system, national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity" is deemed illegal. Leaking state secrets, endangering national security or "harming the national honor and interests of the political class" falls under this rule.

Inciting national, regional, ethnic, and religious hatred, discrimination, misunderstanding, and prejudice is prohibited, as is disturbing social order or causing a public panic with false information. And no propagating superstitions.