China’s crackdown on ‘wealth-flaunting’ social media puts pressure on influencers − both on the mainland and in Taiwan − to echo the party line

A woman checks her mobile phone in downtown Taipei in Taiwan. LeoPatrizi/Getty Images

Chinese regulators are in the process of wrapping up a two-month “spring clean” of the country’s social media.

Launched on April 23, 2024, by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the latest Qinglang campaign – the literal meaning of which is “clean and bright” – aims to penalize Chinese social media influencers and internet celebrities deemed to be flaunting wealth or deliberately showcasing a luxurious life built on money to attract followers and traffic. Its reach goes beyond the behavior of social media users on the mainland, with Taiwanese influencers feeling the heat, too.