NOTE: This translation was originally published on the China Copyright and Media blog, a project of DigiChina’s Prof. Rogier Creemers of the University of Leiden. It has not been edited, double-checked, or standardized with DigiChina’s original content. Read more.
[The title of this translation and internal self-references were changed from "Rules" to "Measures" to match DigiChina style on Jan. 31, 2022]
People’s Republic of China State Council Decree (No. 292)
The “Internet Information Service Management Measures” were passed on 20 September at the 31st General Meeting of the State Council, and are hereby promulgated and implemented.
Premier: Zhu Rongji
25 September 2000
Article 1: In order to standardize Internet information service activities, and stimulate the healthy and orderly development of Internet information services, these Measures are formulated.
Article 2: When engaging in Internet information service activities within the Borders of the People’s Republic of China, these Measures must be obeyed.
Internet information services as named in these Measures, refers to service activities of providing information though the Internet to online users.
Article 3: Internet information services are divided into two categories: commercial and non-commercial.
Commercial Internet information services refers to service activities such as providing information through the Internet to online users for payment, webpage creation, etc.
Non-commercial Internet information services refers to service activities such as providing information having an open or shared nature through the Internet to online users free of charge.
Article 4: The State implements a licensing system for commercial Internet information services; and implements a filing system for non-commercial Internet information services.
Those who have not obtained a licence or have not carried out filing formalities, may not engage in Internet information services.
Article 5: Those engaging in news, publishing, education, medical care, drugs, medical appliances and other Internet information services, according to laws, administrative regulations and relevant State regulations, must undergo examination, verification and approval by the relevant controlling department, and shall have undergone examination, verification and agreement by the relevant controlling department before applying for a business licence or carrying out filing formalities.
Article 6: When engaging in commercial Internet information services, apart from having to conform to the requirements provided in the “People’s Republic of China Telecommunications Regulations”, the following conditions shall also be met:
(1) having a business development plan and corresponding technology plans;
(2) having complete network and information security guarantee measures, including website security guarantee measures, information security secrecy management systems, user information security management systems;
(3) where service programmes fall under the scope provided in Article 5 of these Measures, already having obtained documents with the agreement of relevant controlling departments.
Article 7: When engaging in commercial Internet information service services, an Internet information service added value telecommunications business permit (hereafter simply named business permit) shall be applied for with the provincial, autonomous region or municipal telecommunications management organ or the State Council information industry controlling department
Provincial, autonomous region and municipal telecommunications management organs or the State Council information industry controlling department shall complete examination within 60 days of receiving the application, and make a decision on approval or non-approval. In cases of approval, a business permit is issued; in cases of non-approval, the applicant will be notified in writing and the reasons explained.
After the applicant obtains a business permit, he shall go to the enterprise registration organ to conduct registration formalities with the business permit.
Article 8: When engaging in non-commercial Internet information services, filing formalities shall be conducted with the provincial, autonomous region or municipal telecommunications management organ or the State Council information industry controlling department. When conducting filing, the following materials shall be submitted:
(1) the basic situation of the controlling work unit and the website responsible person;
(2) the website address and the service programme;
(3) where the service programme fall under the scope provided in Article 5 of these Measures, having obtained agreement documents from the relevant controlling department.
Provincial, autonomous region and municipal telecommunications management organs having completely filing materials, shall grant filing and a serial number.
Article 9: Those engaging in Internet information services, and plan to initiate electronic commerce services, shall, when applying for commercial Internet information service permits or conducting non-commercial Internet information service filing, put forward special application or special filing according to relevant State provisions.
Article 10: Provincial, autonomous region and municipal telecommunications management organs and the State Council information industry controlling department shall make the list of names of Internet information service providers having obtained business permits or having completed filing formalities public.
Article 11: Internet information service providers shall provide services according to the programme for which they have a permit or filing, and may not provide services in excess of the permit or licensing.
Non-commercial Internet information service providers may not engage in paid-for services.
Internet information service providers changing service programmes, website addresses and other matters, shall conduct modification formalities 30 days in advance with the original examination, verification and permit-issuing or filing organ.
Article 12: Internet information service providers shall indicate on a clear position on the main page of the website their business permit number or filing number.
Article 13: Internet information service providers shall provide good service to online users, and guarantee that the content of the provided information is lawful.
Article 14: Internet information service providers engaging in news, publishing as well as electronic advertising and other service programmes shall record the content and the publishing time of provided information, the Internet address or domain; Internet access service providers shall record the online time, user account, Internet address or domain, main telephone number and other information of online users.
Internet information service providers and internet access service providers’ back-up records shall be preserved for 60 days, and is to be provided when relevant State organs enquire about it according to the law.
Article 15: Internet information service providers may not produce, reproduce, distribute or disseminate information containing the following content:
(1) opposing the basic principles determined in the Constitution;
(2) endangering national security, divulging State secrets, subverting State authority, destroying national unity;
(3) harming national honour and interests;
(4) inciting ethnic hatred, ethnic discrimination, or destroying ethnic unity;
(5) destroying State religious policies, propagating heresy and feudal superstitions;
(6) disseminating rumours, disordering social order, destroying social stability;
(7) disseminating obscenity, sex, gambling, violence, murder, horror or instigating crime;
(8) insulting or slandering others, harming others’ lawful rights and interests;
(9) other content prohibited by laws or administrative regulations.
Article 16: Internet information service providers discovering that the information disseminated on their websites clearly belongs to one of the contents listed in Article 15 of these Measures, shall immediately cease dissemination, preserve the relevant records, and report it to relevant State organs.
Article 17: Commercial Internet information service providers applying to go on the market at home or abroad or to establish joint ventures or cooperation with foreign businesses, shall undergo examination and agreement by the State Council information industry controlling department in advance; in particular, the proportion of foreign business investment shall conform to the provisions of relevant laws and administrative regulations.
Article 18: The State Council information industry controlling department and provincial, autonomous region and municipal telecommunications management organs implement supervision and management over Internet information services according to the law.
News, publishing, education, hygiene, drugs supervision and management, industry and commerce administrative management, public security, State security and other relevant controlling departments each implement supervision and management over Internet information content within their scope duties.
Article 19: Those, in violation of the provisions of these Measures, without having obtained a business permit, engaging in unauthorized commercial Internet information services, or providing services in excess of their permitted programme, are ordered to rectify by the provincial, autonomous region and municipal telecommunications management organs, where there is unlawful income, the unlawful income is confiscated, and a fine of three times or more but less than five times the unlawful income imposed; where there is no unlawful income or the unlawful income is less than 50.000 Yuan, a fine of 100.000 Yuan or more but less than one million Yuan is imposed; where circumstances are grave, the website is ordered to shut down.
Those, in violation of the provisions of these Measures, without having carried out filing formalities, engaging in unauthorized non-commercial Internet information services, or providing services in excess of their filed programmes, are ordered to rectify by the provincial, autonomous region and municipal telecommunications management organs; where rectification is refused, the website is ordered to shut down.
Article 20: Those producing, reproducing, publishing or disseminating information containing one of the contents listed in Article 15 of these Measures, where it constitutes a crime, will be subject to investigation of criminal liability according to the law; where it does not yet constitute a crime, the public security organs or State security organs impose punishments according to the provisions of the “Public Order Management Punishment Regulations of the People’s Republic of China”, the “Computer information Network and International Internet Security Protection Management Rules” and other laws and administrative regulations; concerning commercial Internet information service providers, the original permit-issuing organ orders cessation for rectification or cancellation of business permits and notifies the enterprise registration organs; concerning non-commercial Internet information service providers, the original filing organ orders provisional website shutdown or website shutdown.
Article 21: Those not having carried out the duties provided in Article 14 of these Measures, are ordered to rectify by the provincial, autonomous region or municipal telecommunications management organs; where circumstances are grave, cessation for rectification or provisional website shutdown is ordered.
Article 22: Those, in violation of the provisions of these Measures, not displaying their permit number or filing number on the main page of their website, are ordered to rectify by the provincial, autonomous region or municipal telecommunications management organs, and punished with a fine of 5000 Yuan or more but less than 50.000 Yuan.
Article 23: Those violating the duties provided in Article 16 of these Measures, are ordered to rectify by the provincial, autonomous region or municipal telecommunications management department; where circumstances are grave, the permits of commercial Internet information service providers are cancelled by the original issuing organ, and the websites of non-commercial Internet information service providers are ordered to shut down by the filing organ.
Article 24: Internet information service providers violating other laws and regulations in their work activities, are punished by news, publishing, education, hygiene, drugs supervision and management and industry and commerce administrative management and other controlling departments according to relevant laws and regulations.
Article 25: Where telecommunications management organs and other controlling departments and their work personnel, neglect duties, abuse their authority, engage in favouritism and commit irregularities, or are careless in supervision and management over Internet information services, creating grave consequences and constituting a crime, criminal responsibility will be investigated according to the law; where it does not yet constitute a crime, the responsible controlling person and other directly responsible personnel are subject to the administrative punishments of demotion, dismissal from their position or even discharge according to the law.
Article 26: Those engaging in Internet information services before the promulgation of these Measures, shall within 60 days of the promulgation of these Measures carry out relevant supplementary formalities according to the relevant provisions of these Measures.
Article 27: These Measures will take effect from the day of promulgation.
互联网信息服务管理办法
(2000 年 9 月 20 日国务院第31 次常务会议通过, 中华人民共和国国务院令第292 号公布,自公布之日起施行)
第一条为了规范互联网信息服务活动,促进互联网信息服务健康有序发展,本制定 办法。
第二条在中华人民共和国境内从事互联网信息服务活动,必须遵守本办法。 本办法所称互联网信息服务,是指通过互联网向上网用户提供信息的服务活动。 第三条互联网信息服务分为经营性和非经营性两类。经营性互联网信息服务, 是指通过互联网向上网用户有偿提供信息或者网页等制作
服务活动。 非经营性互联网信息服务,是指通过互联网向上网用户无偿提供具有公开性享、共
性信息的服务活动。第四条国家对经营性互联网信息服务实行许可制度; 对非经营性互联网信息实服务
行备案制度。未取得许可或者未履行备案手续的,不得从事互联网信息服务。 第五条从事新闻、出版、教育、医疗保健、药品和医疗器械等互联网信息服依务,
照法律、行政法规以及国家有关规定须经有关主管部门审核同意的,在申请经营或许可 者履行备案手续前,应当依法经有关主管部门审核同意。
第六条从事经营性互联网信息服务,除应当符合《中华人民共和国电信条例定》规 的要求外,还应当具备下列条件:
(一)有业务发展计划及相关技术方案;
(二)有健全的网络与信息安全保障措施,包括网站安全保障措施、信息安全管保密 理制度、用户信息安全管理制度;
(三)服务项目属于本办法第五条规定范围的,已取得有关主管部门同意的文件。
第七条从事经营性互联网信息服务,应当向省、自治区、直辖市电信管理机者构或 国务院信息产业主管部门申请办理互联网信息服务增值电信业务经营许可(证以下简称 经营许可证)。
省、 自治区、 直辖市电信管理机构或者国务院信息产业主管部门应当自收到之申请
日起 60 日内审查完毕,作出批准或者不予批准的决定。予以批准的,颁发经营许;可证 不予批准的,应当书面通知申请人并说明理由。
申请人取得经营许可证后,应当持经营许可证向企业登记机关办理登记手续。
第八条从事非经营性互联网信息服务,应当向省、自治区、直辖市电信管理或机构 者国务院信息产业主管部门办理备案手续。办理备案时,应当提交下列材料:
(一)主办单位和网站负责人的基本情况;(二)网站网址和服务项目; (三)服务项目属于本办法第五条规定范围的,已取得有关主管部门的同意文件。 省、自治区、直辖市电信管理机构对备案材料齐全的,应当予以备案并编号。 第九条从事互联网信息服务,拟开办电子公告服务的,应当在申请经营性互信联网
息服务许可或者办理非经营性互联网信息服务备案时, 按照国家有关规定提出专请项申 或者专项备案。
第十条省、自治区、直辖市电信管理机构和国务院信息产业主管部门应当公得布取 经营许可证或者已履行备案手续的互联网信息服务提供者名单。
第十一条互联网信息服务提供者应当按照经许可或者备案的项目提供服务, 超不得 出经许可或者备案的项目提供服务。
非经营性互联网信息服务提供者不得从事有偿服务。
互联网信息服务提供者变更服务项目、网站网址等事项的,应当提前30 日向原审 核、发证或者备案机关办理变更手续。
第十二条互联网信息服务提供者应当在其网站主页的显著位置标明其经营许可证 编号或者备案编号。
第十三条互联网信息服务提供者应当向上网用户提供良好的服务, 并保证所的提供 信息内容合法。
第十四条从事新闻、出版以及电子公告等服务项目的互联网信息服务提供者,当应 记录提供的信息内容及其发布时间、互联网地址或者域名;互联网接入服务提供当者应 记录上网用户的上网时间、用户帐号、互联网
地址或者域名、主叫电话号码等信息。
互联网信息服务提供者和互联网接入服务提供者的记录备份应当保存60 日,并在 国家有关机关依法查询时,予以提供。
第十五条互联网信息服务提供者不得制作、 复制、 发布、 传播含有下列内息容:的信 (一)反对宪法所确定的基本原则的; (二)危害国家安全,泄露国家秘密,颠覆国家政权,破坏国家统一的; (三)损害国家荣誉和利益的;
(四)煽动民族仇恨、民族歧视,破坏民族团结的; (五)破坏国家宗教政策,宣扬邪教和封建迷信的; (六)散布谣言,扰乱社会秩序,破坏社会稳定的; (七)散布淫秽、色情、赌博、暴力、凶杀、恐怖或者教唆犯罪的; (八)侮辱或者诽谤他人,侵害他人合法权益的; (九)含有法律、行政法规禁止的其他内容的。 第十六条互联网信息服务提供者发现其网站传输的信息明显属于本办法第十五条
所列内容之一的,应当立即停止传输,保存有关记录,并向国家有关机关报告。 第十七条经营性互联网信息服务提供者申请在境内境外上市或者同外商合资、合
作,应当事先经国务院信息产业主管部门审查同意;其中,外商投资的比例应当有符合 关法律、行政法规的规定。
第十八条国务院信息产业主管部门和省、自治区、直辖市电信管理机构,依互法对 联网信息服务实施监督管理。
新闻、出版、教育、卫生、药品监督管理、工商行政管理和公安、国家安全关等有 主管部门,在各自职责范围内依法对互联网信息内容实施监督管理。
第十九条违反本办法的规定, 未取得经营许可证, 擅自从事经营性互联网务信,息服 或者超出许可的项目提供服务的,由省、自治区、直辖市电信管理机构责令限期改正, 有违法所得的,没收违法所得,处违法所3得倍以上5 倍以下的罚款;没有违法所得或 者违法所得不足5 万元的,处10 万元以上100 万元以下的罚款;情节严重的,责令关 闭网站。
违反本办法的规定,未履行备案手续,擅自从事非经营性互联网信息服务,超或者 出备案的项目提供服务的,由省、自治区、直辖市电信管理机构责令限期改正;改拒不 正的,责令关闭网站。
第二十条制作、复制、发布、传播本办法第十五条所列内容之一的信息,构罪成犯 的,依法追究刑事责任;尚不构成犯罪的,由公安机关、国家安全机关依照《中民华人
共和国治安管理处罚条例》 、 《计算机信息网络国际联网安全保护管理办法》 等有关法律、 行政法规的规定予以处罚;对经营性互联网信息服务提供者,并由发证机关责令整停业 顿直至吊销经营许可证,通知企业登记机关;对非经营性互联网信息服务提供者由,并 备案机关责令暂时关闭网站直至关闭网站。
第二十一条未履行本办法第十四条规定的义务的,由省、自治区、直辖市电理信管 机构责令改正;情节严重的,责令停业整顿或者暂时关闭网站。
第二十二条违反本办法的规定, 未在其网站主页上标明其经营许可证编号或案者备 编号的,由省、自治区、直辖市电信管理机构责令改正,处5000元以上5 万元以下的 罚款。
第二十三条违反本办法第十六条规定的义务的,由省、自治区、直辖市电信机管理 构责令改正;情节严重的,对经营性互联网信息服务提供者,并由发证机关吊销许经营 可证,对非经营性互联网信息服务提供者,并由备案机关责令关闭网站。
第二十四条互联网信息服务提供者在其业务活动中,违反其他法律、法规的新,由 闻、出版、教育、卫生、药品监督管理和工商行政管理等有关主管部门依照有关法律、 法规的规定处罚。
第二十五条电信管理机构和其他有关主管部门及其工作人员, 玩忽职守、 权滥、用职 徇私舞弊,疏于对互联网信息服务的监督管理,造成严重后果,构成犯罪的,依究法追 刑事责任; 尚不构成犯罪的, 对直接负责的主管人员和其他直接责任人员依法级给、予降 撤职直至开除的行政处分。
第二十六条在本办法公布前从事互联网信息服务的,应当自本办法公布之日起60 日内依照本办法的有关规定补办有关手续。
第二十七条本办法自公布之日起施行。
