Bilibili chairman explains mass removal of video content

Chen Rui, chairman of China's leading video broadcasting portal Bilibili, on Sunday elaborated upon the mass removal of video content from the website on 12th July, saying that it was voluntary self-regulation due to a strategic adjustment of business management.

"Considering related rules and regulations recently adopted by the authority, I deemed it necessary to conduct a thorough vetting of the content uploaded on Bilibili, which has grown into a platform of considerable size and influence," he said at the company's annual gala in Shanghai.

Chen Rui from Bilibili elaborated upon the reason of a recent massive removal of video content from the website. / CFP Photo

Bilibili is a highly esteemed video broadcasting portal among young Chinese, and is especially popular among cartoon and fantasy lovers for its rich archive of foreign TV shows and movies, many of which are uploaded by users without copyright.

China's cyber authority recently tightened regulations on online videos, charging streaming platforms with the responsibility of inspecting the content shared online.

As most of the videos removed by Bilibili are foreign dramas, it has been speculated that the move was made in a bid to combat piracy.

However, netizens quoted on thepaper.cn said that some legally imported programs, such as The Solitary Gourmet and River's Edge Ookawabata Tanteisha were affected too.

"Some videos were mistakenly taken down amid the censorship move and have been gradually restored." Chen Rui explained.

But CGTN discovered that two of the dramas mentioned above are still inaccessible.

Chen Rui stated that the vetting process will continue for another one or two months.

"After that, the qualified content will be restored. The unqualified will be taken down permanently," said Chen.