Still from the Walking Dead Photo: CFP

Fans of US and British TV series in China were shocked last week when they heard that their favorite series might be banned on Chinese streaming sites.

The concern was caused by the latest notice issued by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of The People's Republic of China (SAPPRFT) outlining regulations aimed at strengthening censorship of content appearing on streaming sites.

Many worried that the regulations might affect the rising sales of foreign shows to China as violent scenes in hit shows like zombie survival show The Walking Dead and the nudity in Masters of Sex would make them the target of censorship.

Major streaming sites such as iQIYI and Sohu, however, say that fans have actually misunderstood the notice. They explain that these regulations have in fact existed for some time now, and are actually more targeted towards self-produced original content and user created content appearing on streaming sites.

False alarm

According to the notice, regulation of audio-visual programs such as original network content and user-made short films, or micro-films as they are called in China, on streaming sites will be strengthened by requiring all content to first undergo censorship review before being broadcast. Those sites that violate regulations can be fined or even be barred from providing service online for   five years.

After the notice was published, many immediately assumed this meant a "ban" on certain foreign shows. The Hollywood Reporter even published an article saying that the move "could dampen recent growth of Hollywood content sales to the country's Internet giants."

However, according to Chengdu's Western China City News, insiders point out that "censoring before broadcast" has always been the rule in China, and that since the notice is not specifically aimed at shows that have already been introduced to the domestic market it will therefore have little affect on them.

The deputy editor-in-chief of streaming service iQIYI, Wang Zhaonan, also explained that this new notice is just a more detailed version of "preexisting regulations." For iQIYI, the regulations will mainly impact the production of original content, since iQIYI is required to ensure that any production studio from which it buys content has been licensed. Additionally, according to The Beijing News the new rules require Net users who upload user generated content to register with their real names.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, a source within Internet company Sohu has stated that, "Most US TV series that are online have already been put on record and censored through a formal process." Which basically means that the regulations don't apply to them.

Censorship of original content

While TV series from the US and Britain have always been popular in China, the popularity of some shows have reached an all new high since they were introduced on streaming sites last year. House of Cards, The Walking Dead, 2 Broke Girls, Masters of Sex and Sherlock are all undeniable hits in China.

Alongside the rising tide of foreign shows streaming on the Internet, streaming sites gradually began to produce their own original shows such as Tencent Video's Blind Spot and iQIYI's Linghun Baidu, both of which feature stories of the supernatural.

However, a lot of original content on streaming sites use a large amount of sex, violence and vulgar scenes as stunts to attract viewers. This has led some people in China to voice their support for the regulations.

Xinhua notes the reactions of some of these Netizens. "I totally agree about censoring micro-films. Ever since the production of micro-films began, the bar for being a filmmaker became much lower," posted Net user Feichaijunzhi. Net user I Love Cats commented: "Many so-called original filmmakers are just using micro-films as a cover to do rated R films." 

In an interview with Beijing News, Zhang Yi, who is responsible for producing original dramas for China based streaming site LeTV, mentioned how Internet dramas and micro-films have grown substantially since 2009, pointing out that while many short films contain erotic scenes and awful storylines "as  viewer numbers of streaming video rise, self-produced shows of good quality are becoming a new trend."

He also discussed how LeTV self-censors a show beforehand to ensure they get SAPPRFT approval to broadcast online. He explained that the approval process is not easy since they are required to file a report containing a plot outline and basic information about directors and actors signed by at least three auditors and chief auditors, before uploading content to SAPPRFT to receive a unique code that allows the show to be released on the site.

Although foreign shows also need to undergo review, the censorship process is not as complicated. Self-censorship is the main method used by LeTV when selecting shows. "We investigate the plot of a show in detail. Those that have been successfully introduced so far are those that didn't have any political issues," said Zhang.