WeChat, Taobao, etc. may usher in super regulation: strictly control privacy, monopoly and other behaviors

In recent years, with the rapid development of domestic mobile Internet, many "super platforms" such as WeChat, Taobao, and Douyin have been born. They are also called "national-level" applications in the market and cover almost everyone's life and work.

However, because these platforms are too large, some violations often occur, such as excessive demands for user privacy, forced "two-choice" operations, etc., which have a negative impact on the market and users.

On the 29th, the State Administration for Market Regulation announced the "Guidelines for Classification and Grading of Internet Platforms (Draft for Comments)" and the "Guidelines for the Implementation of Main Responsibilities of Internet Platforms (Draft for Comments)".

It was proposed that Internet platforms be divided into six major categories: online sales platforms, life service platforms, social entertainment platforms, information platforms, financial service platforms, and computing application platforms, and be divided into three levels: super platforms, large platforms, and small and medium-sized platforms according to the scale of users.

According to the classification standards, a super platform had no fewer than 500 million annual active users in China in the previous year, its core business involves at least two types of platform business, its market value (valuation) at the end of the previous year was no less than RMB 1 trillion, and it has a super strong ability to restrict merchants from contacting consumers (users); a large platform had no fewer than 50 million annual active users in China in the previous year, it has an outstanding main platform business, and its market value (valuation) at the end of the previous year was no less than RMB 100 billion; small and medium-sized platforms refer to those with a certain number of annual active users in China.

According to this standard, apps such as WeChat, Taobao, Douyin, and Alipay will be managed as super platforms.

It is reported that the purpose of defining the classification is to implement precise policies, to protect the rights and interests of users from infringement through more targeted regulatory supervision, and to promote better development of the platform. On the one hand, super platforms must assume super responsibilities and accept "super supervision."

On the other hand, my country's super platforms are often the world's leading companies in this field. These platforms should give full play to their own advantages, achieve healthy and long-term development under standardized management, and become the vanguard of China's establishment of global advantages in the digital economy era.

According to the "Guidelines for the Implementation of the Main Responsibilities of Internet Platforms (Draft for Comments)", super-large platform operators have advantages in scale, data, technology, etc., and should play a leading role in fair competition. Super-large platform operators should abide by the principles of fairness and non-discrimination. When providing relevant products or services, they should treat the platform itself (or affiliated companies) and operators within the platform equally, and not implement self-preferential treatment.

At the same time, super-large platforms are also the birthplace of massive data. Their operators should establish and improve data security review and internal control mechanisms. The processing of user personal information, cross-border data flow, and data development activities involving national and social public interests must be carried out strictly in accordance with laws and regulations to ensure data security.