In October 2025, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) introduced sweeping new rules for the creator economy. (1) If you’re an online influencer in China and you publish content on what the regulators deem “sensitive topics” — namely medicine, finance, education or law — you must now hold professional credentials such as a degree, licence or certification.
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Platforms such as Douyin, Bilibili and Weibo are now required to verify creators’ qualifications to ensure their claims come from a legitimate source and to issue warnings or remove content when credentials are missing or dubious. (2)
The fines for non-compliance can run up to 100,000 yuan (roughly USD $14,000) in some cases. (3)
What’s going on and why it matters
The regulatory intervention in China aimed at mitigating misinformation in the digital realm.
Chinese regulators observed that the creator economy has become a source of professional advice. For example, influencers with large followings were dispensing investment tips without proper financial training or offering medical treatments without appropriate credentials.
The phenomenon triggered concern from authorities, which prompted these tighter rules. (4)
In China, the influencer economy was estimated to be worth 100 billion yuan (USD $14 billion) in 2023. It shapes public opinion, consumer behavior and financial decisions. (5)
By requiring platforms to verify credentials and requiring credentials for influencers, the Chinese policy aims to raise the bar for who can discuss “sensitive topics.” It also shifts responsibility upstream to platforms and arguably to brands that partner with creators. (6)
For brands looking to collaborate with influencers in China, campaigns now have to check whether a creator is credential-eligible before they go live or publish advice-type content. If the creator fails verification, platforms can pause the campaign, remove their content or jeopardize the brand’s credibility.
For example, Global Brands Magazine reported that a former schoolteacher turned education content creator didn’t have her credentials verified on the platform. (7) The result was a six-figure campaign put on hold.
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Adopting the change in the United States?
In the U.S., influencer regulation is far less stringent. The Federal Trade Commission requires disclosure for sponsored content to prevent deceptive advertising. (8) However, there is no federal requirement that an influencer hold a finance license, a medical degree or a teaching certificate before advising on those subjects.
Many creators can share investment tips, wellness hacks or legal commentary without formal credentials or fact-checking processes. Following bad financial advice can lead to losses; dubious medical claims may put people’s health at risk. In this sense, China’s policy aims to protect the public.
In the U.S. context, requiring influencers to have credentials could reshape the influencer ecosystem. Fewer creators may be eligible to discuss niche topics unless they possess the necessary qualifications to support their claims.
Should the U.S. consider a similar rule? If platforms required creators discussing these sensitive topics (finance, medicine, law, education) to demonstrate credentials, a few implications follow:
- Decrease in influencers: The number of creators with no qualifications may shrink, and the bar for expertise would increase.
- Increase in compliance: Brands and platforms would need to invest in verification, compliance and risk management to identify whether their influencers have proper credentials.
- Decline in younger influencers: Younger audiences may benefit from more trustworthy content, but they may also face less peer-driven, informal commentary.
- Freedom of expression: The policy can put free speech at risk. After all, where do we draw the line between opinion, commentary and professional advice?
The social media policy in China propels a shift in conversation. In an age of online influence and rapid dissemination of advice, how much responsibility should creators, platforms and regulators bear? In North America, is the trade-off between open commentary and verified expertise one we’re willing to explore?
China’s move is a case study for experts in content, influencer marketing, or digital policy. It forces us to ask — not just who speaks online, but who is qualified to speak on matters that affect health, finances, education and law.
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Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Barlaman Today (1); Morocco World News (2); WebProNews (3); Net Influencer (4); Statista (5); Hogan Lovells (6); Global Brands Magazine (7); Federal Trade Commission (8)
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: China’s influencer crackdown bans unqualified voices from covering ‘sensitive topics’ — should the US follow?
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