The State Administration for Industry and Commerce ("SAIC") has recently issued the Circular on Launching a Special Program to Rectify Internet Advertisements (the "Circular").
The Circular states that the program will focus on internet mediums that have powerful social influences and extensive coverage, including the portals, search engines, e-commerce platforms, mobile client terminals, and new media accounts, and intensively rectify five categories of false and unlawful internet advertisements that cause an adverse social impact, arouse strong concerns among the general public, and harm the personal and property safety of the masses, to be specific, including "false and illegal internet advertisements of foods, dietary supplements, medical care, drugs and medical devices that jeopardize the personal safety or the physical health of the masses". Meanwhile, the Circular expressly sets out the arrangements for each stage, stating that in the rectifying stage beginning from April to October this year, efforts will be made to look into and crack down on various internet advertisements that are found false and illegal, concentrate forces at probing into major and key cases, and refer clues about cases involving suspected criminal offences in a timely manner to judicial organs; authorities for industry and commerce shall work together with entities that are members at the joint conference of the rectification of false and illegal advertisements to have talks with and inspect the advertisers; typical cases will be released to create deterrent effects.