Official data shows there are more than 400 million live-streaming users in China. That's over half of the whole online Chinese community. The industry emerged in China in 2005, and made a significant breakthrough in 2016. And along with success came the streaming of obscenity, violence and other inappropriate content. RORY COEN has more.

It's on-line seduction, designed to draw the eye. Female hosts on live streaming platforms rack up views. On Fanguo Live Streaming, for the right price, the hosts would gather viewers into an intimate chat group. By November last year, more than 200 thousand viewers had paid for pornographic performances on Fanguo. The platform itself earned more than 13 million yuan in only 40 days.

But sex appeal isn't the only live streamer draw. The well-known Chinese internet celebrity, MC Tianyou, often described different feelings after taking drugs during his broadcast. Tianyou rose to stardom when his rap-like performances went viral in 2016, but now he's banned from all live streaming platforms.

This year's latest online phenomenon is live streaming quizzes. Mobile apps offer prizes. Participants who give all the correct answers can split the jackpot. And to create even more buzz, the apps have used what's labeled unintentional errors in quizzes. Such as listing Taiwan and Hong Kong as countries. Now with the crackdown on illegal content on live streaming platforms, the question remains: How far can the industry go in China?