China’s National Radio and Television Administration released a new “classified and tiered review” system to tighten censorship on microdramas on Feb. 5.
Any microdrama themed at “politics, national security, United Front, diplomacy, ethnicity” will be closely and directly scrutinized by the regulator. Most streaming platforms, required to manage the content themselves, will still be prohibited from distributing or promoting microdramas, unlicensed without a registration number.
The latest policy runs contrary to the Chinese government’s efforts since early last year to promote the microdrama industry. Why is there a sharp turn now? How will the regulator censor microdramas with sensitive themes? How will the Chinese audience respond to the tightened censorship?
