China’s cyberspace regulator has introduced draft regulations aimed at governing the development of digital humans, mandating explicit labelling and prohibiting services that could deceive children or encourage addiction.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released the proposed rules on Friday, with the document open for public feedback until 6 May, reports Reuters.
According to the draft, all virtual human content must carry a conspicuous “digital human” mark. Additionally, digital humans are strictly barred from offering “simulated intimate relationships” to users under the age of 18.
The draft also forbids the creation of digital humans using another person’s personal information without their consent, as well as the use of virtual humans to circumvent identity verification systems.
These provisions underscore Beijing’s efforts to maintain regulatory control amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence.
Under the proposed rules, digital humans must not disseminate content that endangers national security, incites the overthrow of state power, promotes secession, or undermines national unity.
Service providers are further urged to prevent and resist content that is sexually suggestive, depicts horror or cruelty, or incites discrimination based on ethnicity or region.
Furthermore, the draft encourages providers to intervene and offer professional support when users exhibit suicidal or self-harming behaviour.
The move follows China’s newly released five-year policy blueprint, which signals ambitions to aggressively adopt AI across the economy while tightening governance to ensure safety and alignment with the country’s socialist values.
An analysis published on the CAC’s website noted that the new rules aim to fill a governance gap in the digital human sector, establishing clear red lines for healthy industry growth.
“The governance of digital virtual humans is no longer merely an issue of industry norms; rather, it has become a strategic scientific problem that concerns the security of cyberspace, public interests, and the high-quality development of the digital economy,” the analysis added.
