An investigation by China Central Television (CCTV) has found popular Chinese news app Toutiao to be a hideout for pornographic livestreams, as law-enforcement authorities target this fast-growing but under-regulated media.
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Toutiao boasts at least 700 million users in China, with more than 74 million active daily users. The news app uses artificial intelligence to curate headline recommendations. So far, so innocent.
But since at least the latter part of 2016, it has been automatically pushing embedded content from the Huoshan Live Streaming app to its users, and much of it is pornographic, according to a CCTV exposé aired on Sunday.
Screenshot of CCTV’s news program
A CCTV reporter spent months browsing Toutiao and found many links directed them to livestreams of girls in sexy costumes promising to perform strip teases for money.
“I will change into erotic pajamas after you send me a ‘roadster’,” one Huoshan Live Streaming web-caster said. The roadster, with a value of 170 yuan (25 US dollars), is a virtual gift viewers can buy with real money and send to the broadcaster.
The reporter found that there were nearly 100 female web-casters live streaming on Huoshan at 3 a.m. on March 1. When one host started changing clothes, the audience number climbed from 600 to 1,200 in a few minutes, but there was no attempt by the app’s moderators to censor the content or warn viewers.
Screenshot of CCTV’s news program
Huoshan is one of countless live streaming apps popular with people broadcasting skits, lifestyle advice and other entertainment. For many viewers, the reason for tuning in is the hosts’ sex appeal. Some anchors even publicize their social media accounts during live streaming to encourage users to buy and watch hard-core pornography.
All pornography is illegal in China, but authorities are playing catch-up in regulating live streaming.
The nation’s live streaming sector boomed in 2016. More than 200 live streaming platforms are actively involved in the budding sector, which Credit Suisse estimated to be worth more than 25 billion yuan, attracting 325 million users, according to Chinese media reports.
After launching a crackdown on illegal content in live streams in December, The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) shut down 18 live streaming apps on April 2.
One of the difficulties the CAC faces is that the development costs of such apps and content are low but the rewards are high. A Huajiao host reportedly earned nearly 60,000 yuan through a function which replays hosts’ shows.
Screenshot of CCTV's news program
Toutiao has not commented on the CCTV report yet, but users of China’s Twitter-like Weibo have come out in a chorus of disapproval against it. @Yooniya said, “We have to inflict severe punishments on these websites! Many youngsters watch live streams now, so we need to spread more positive content on these platforms.”
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