The State Administration for Market Regulation on October 29, 2021, published a pair of draft regulatory documents on the platform economy that set out a typology for platforms, categorizing them by sector and function and grading them by scale and impact. These Guidelines lay out that typology. The companion Guidelines for Implementing the Primary Responsibility of Internet Platforms (Draft for Comment) outline responsibilities for platforms according to the typology.

Original source: https://www.samr.gov.cn/hd/zjdc/202110/P020211029613172534705.doc

Archived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20220228190246/https://www.samr.gov.cn/hd/zjdc/202110/P020211029613172534705.doc

TRANSLATION

Guidelines for Internet Platform Categorization and Grading (Draft for Comment)

I. Purpose of the Guidelines

In order to better promote the standardized and healthy development of China's platform economy, protect fair market competition, promote innovation in science and technology, safeguard consumer interests, conduct more scientific and standardized regulation of internet platforms, and strengthen the focus and effectiveness of supervision, these guidelines for internet platform categorization and grading are specially formulated.

II. Guidelines for the Categorization of Platforms

2.1 The Basis of Categorization

In categorizing platforms, the linkage attributes and main functions of platforms must be considered. Platform linkage attributes refer to the linkage of people with goods, services, information, entertainment, capital, computing power, etc., through network technology, thus causing platforms to possess various functionality including the transactional, social, entertainment, informational, financial, and computational.

2.2 Categorization Scheme

Integrating the present conditions of China's platform development, and on the basis of the objects of linkage and main functions of platforms, platforms are to be categorized into the six major categories below. (See Table 1.)

Table 1: Platform Categorization

Platform Category	Linkage Attribute	Main Function
Online market platform	Links people with goods	Transactional
Everyday services platform	Links people with services	Services
Social and entertainment platform	Links people with people	Social and entertainment
Information platform	Links people with information	Information
Financial platform	Links people with capital	Financial
Computing application platform	Links people with computing capacity	Network computing

2.3 Online Market Platforms

Online market platforms link people and goods, and their main functions include providing sales services, facilitating two-party transactions, increasing the efficiency of matching, etc. They include but are not limited to the following sub-platforms:

1. Comprehensive goods trading category: comprehensive platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in the provision of various goods such as clothing, hats, shoes, and boots; bags and accessories; digital electronics; food and toiletries; etc.
2. Vertical goods trading category: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in the trade of a specific type of good that has precisely differentiated positioning and the added value of a distinctive brand.
3. Supermarket group-buying category: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in providing daily necessities such as vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, seafood, grain, oil, seasoning, alcohol, beverages, and everyday merchandise, and providing group buying and other distribution services. 

2.4 Everyday Services Platforms

Everyday services platforms link people with services, and their main functions include providing transit and travel, delivery, home management, home rental and sales, children's education, and other such services. They include but are not limited to the following sub-platforms.

1. Transit services category: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in the provision of travel-related services such as bike shares, ride-hailing software, public transit and metro querying software, etc.
2. Travel services category: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in soliciting or welcoming guests or providing them with services such as transportation, sightseeing, accommodation, food and beverage, shopping, or cultural entertainment, for example tour booking, ticket sales, hotel reservations, etc.
3. Delivery category: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in services such as take-out or goods distribution, for example take-out dining, intra-city delivery, express delivery, etc.
4. Home management category: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in home management services such as housekeeping, nursing, household management, etc.
5. Home rental and sales category: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in real estate sales or rentals, including buying and selling of homes, home rental, etc.

2.5 Social and Entertainment Platforms

Social and entertainment platforms connect people to other people, and their main functions include social interactions, gaming and leisure, audio-visual services, and reading literature, etc. This category includes but is not limited to the following sub-platforms:

1.  Instant messaging: a platform specializing in or mainly engaging in instant messaging and the exchange of files, audio, and video. 
2. Gaming and leisure: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in gaming operations and promotion, including web games, personal computer (PC) games, mobile games, etc.
3. Audio-visual services: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in the supply of various multimedia content, including songs, movies, etc.
4. Video streaming: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in live broadcasts using online and media streaming technology.
5. Short videos: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in pushing short video content that ranges from a few seconds to a few minutes in length, including skill tutorials, humor and comedy, fashion trends, social highlights, street interviews, public welfare education, advertisement campaigns, and made-to-order businesses, etc.  
6. Literature: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in online publication and major e-book products such as literature; digital publications, with content including literature, social science, education, fashion, etc.  

2.6 Information Platforms 

Information platforms connect people to information, and their primary functions include news services, search services, audio and video information content, etc. This category includes but is not limited to the following sub-platforms:

1. News portals: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in providing news, entertainment, and other Internet information resources, and supplying relevant information services.
2. Search engines: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in organizing and processing information collected on the Internet, providing users with search services, and displaying relevant information searched by users.
3. User generated content (UGC): platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in allowing users to upload their original content to the Internet or sharing it with other users.
4. Audio-visual information: platforms specializing in or mainly engaging in radio stations, audio sharing, etc.
5. News organizations: platforms dedicated to or mainly engaged in news gathering, production, publishing, management, etc.

2.7 Financial Service Platforms

Financial service platforms connect people to capital, and their primary functions include providing payment and settlement functions, providing online loan services, financial management services, financial information, and securities investment services. This category includes but is not limited to the following sub-platforms:

1. Comprehensive financial services: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in providing inclusive financial services to small and micro enterprises or individual consumers.
2. Payment and billing: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in Internet payment, mobile phone payment, etc.
3. Consumer finance: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in providing loans to consumers.
4. Financial information: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in providing users with market quotes, financial data, financial information, analytical tools, portfolio management, and other services.
5. Securities investing: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in providing overall Internet technology (IT) [sic.] solutions and services for financial institutions and wealth management tools for individual investors.

2.8 Computing Application Platforms

Computing application platforms connect people with computing power, and their main functions include applications on mobile phones, operating systems, information management and cloud computing, and other internet service providers. 

1. Intelligent terminals: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in the development, production, sales, and technical services of terminal products such as data transmission equipment, information systems, intelligent systems, and wireless data.
2. Operating systems: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in the research and development, production, and sales of operating systems such as mobile operating systems and distributed operating systems.
3. Mobile phone application (APP) software: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in analysis, design, coding, and generation of APP software.
4. Information management: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in enterprise resource planning (ERP) management software, financial system, IT information, and other enterprise management software R&D, technical services, etc.
5. (5) Cloud computing: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in providing cloud computing services for enterprises, including platforms that provide infrastructure as a service (IAAS), platform as a service (PAAS), software as a service (SAAS), etc.
6. (6) Network services: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in Domain Name Service (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Remote Terminal Protocol (Telnet), etc.
7. (7) Industrial Internet: platforms specializing or mainly engaging in platform design, intelligent manufacturing, network collaboration, personalized customization, service extension, digital management, etc.

III. Platform Grading Guidelines

3.1: Grading Basis

To grade a platform, it is necessary to comprehensively consider its user scale, categories of operations, and restrictive ability. User scale refers to the number of annual active users of the platform within China; categories of operations refers to the platform categories that the platform’s operations involve; restrictive ability refers to the ability a platform has to restrict or obstruct merchants’ connections with consumers.

3.2: Grading Scheme

According to the abovementioned grading basis, Internet platforms may be divided into three tiers (see Table 2):

Table 2: Platform Grading 

Platform grade	Grading basis	Concrete Standard
Super platform	Exceedingly large user scale	An annual number of active users within China of no fewer than 500 million in the previous year
"	Exceedingly broad categories of operations	Core operations involving at least two kinds of platform operations
"	Exceedingly high economic value	A market capitalization (appraisal) of no less than 1 trillion RMB at the end of the previous year
"	Exceedingly strong restrictive ability	Having excessively strong ability to restrict merchants’ connections with consumers (users)
Large platform	Relatively large user scale	An annual number of active users within China of no fewer than 50 million in the previous year
"	Primary business	Having a prominent primary platform business
"	Relatively high economic value	A market capitalization (appraisal) of no less than 100 billion RMB at the end of the previous year
"	Relatively strong restrictive ability	Having relatively strong ability to restrict merchants’ connections with consumers (users)
Small and mid-size platform	A certain user scale	Having a certain number of active annual users within China
"	A certain operational category	Having certain operations
"	A certain economic value	Having a certain value (appraisal)
"	A certain restrictive ability	Having a certain ability to restrict merchants’ connections with consumers (users)

3.3 Super Platforms

"Super platforms" refers to platforms simultaneously having an exceedingly large user base, exceedingly broad categories of operations, exceedingly high economic value, and exceedingly strong restrictive ability. Specifically, exceedingly large user scale refers to a number of active annual users within China of no fewer than 500 million; exceedingly broad categories of operations refers to the platform’s core activities involving at least two categories of platform operations, where said operations may involve six major areas: online sales, life services, social media and entertainment, information consulting, financial services, and computing applications; exceedingly high economic value refers to a platform market capitalization (appraisal) of not less than 1 trillion RMB in the previous year; and exceedingly strong restrictive capability refers to the platform having an exceedingly strong ability to restrict merchants’ connection with consumers (users).

3.4: Large Platforms

"Large platforms" refers to platforms having a relatively large user scale, relatively broad categories of operations, relatively broad scope of business, relatively high economic value, and relatively strong restrictive abilities. Specifically, relatively large user scale refers to a number of active annual users within China of no fewer than 50 million; relatively broad categories of operations refers to the platform having a prominently manifested primary business; relatively high economic value refers to a platform market capitalization (appraisal) of no less than 100 billion RMB in the previous year; relatively strong restrictive ability refers to the platform having a relatively strong ability to restrict merchants’ connection with consumers (users).

3.5: Small and mid-size platforms

Small and mid-size platforms are platforms with a certain user scale, limited categories of operations, limited economic value, and limited restrictive ability.

Chinese-language original

­­互联网平台分类分级指南（征求意见稿）

一、指南的宗旨

为更好推动我国平台经济规范健康发展，保护市场公平竞争，推动科技创新，维护消费者权益，对互联网平台进行更加科学规范管理，增强监管的针对性与有效性，特制定互联网平台分类分级指南。

二、平台分类指南

2.1 分类依据 

对平台进行分类需要考虑平台的连接属性和主要功能。平台的连接属性是指通过网络技术把人和商品、服务、信息、娱乐、资金以及算力等连接起来，由此使得平台具有交易、社交、娱乐、资讯、融资、计算等各种功能。

2.2 分类方案 

结合我国平台发展现状，依据平台的连接对象和主要功能，将平台分为以下六大类（见表1）。

表1 平台分类

平台类别	连接属性	主要功能
网络销售类平台	连接人与商品	交易功能
生活服务类平台	连接人与服务	服务功能
社交娱乐类平台	连接人与人	社交娱乐功能
信息资讯类平台	连接人与信息	信息资讯功能
金融服务类平台	连接人与资金	融资功能
计算应用类平台	连接人与计算能力	网络计算功能

2.3 网络销售类平台

网络销售类平台，连接的是人与商品，其主要功能包括提供销售服务、促成双方交易、提高匹配效率等。包括但不限于以下子平台：

（1）综合商品交易类：专门或者主要从事提供衣帽鞋靴、箱包饰品、数码电器、食品洗护等各类商品的综合平台。

（2）垂直商品交易类：专门或者主要从事某一类型产品交易的平台，具有精准的差异化定位和独特的品牌附加值。

（3）商超团购类：专门或者主要从事供给蔬菜水果、肉蛋水产、粮油调味、酒水饮料、日用百货等生活用品，并提供团购等配送服务的平台。

2.4 生活服务类平台

生活服务类平台，连接的是人与服务，其主要功能包括提供出行旅游、配送、家政、租房买房、子女教育等服务。包括但不限于以下子平台：

（1）出行服务类：专门或者主要从事提供出行相关服务的平台，如共享单车、打车软件、公交地铁查询软件等。

（2）旅游服务类：专门或者主要从事招徕、接待游客、为其提供交通、游览、住宿、餐饮、购物、文娱等服务的平台，如旅游定制、门票购买、酒店预订等。

（3）配送服务类：专门或者主要从事外卖、物流等服务的平台，如外卖送餐、同城配送、快递配送等。

（4）家政服务类：专门或者主要从事保姆、护理、保洁、家庭管理等家政服务的平台。

（5）房屋经纪类：专门或者主要从事房地产销售、租赁的平台，包括房屋买卖、房屋租赁等。

2.5 社交娱乐类平台

社交娱乐类平台，连接的是人与人，其主要功能包括社交互动、游戏休闲、视听服务、文学阅读等。包括但不限于以下子平台：

（1）即时通讯类：专门或者主要从事即时传递文字讯息、档案、语音与视频交流的平台。

（2）游戏休闲类：专门或者主要从事游戏运营和推广的平台，包括网页游戏、个人计算机（PC）端游戏、手机游戏等。

（3）视听服务类：专门或者主要从事供给各类多媒体资料的平台，包括歌曲、电影等。

（4）直播视频类：专门或者主要从事利用互联网及流媒体技术进行直播的平台。

（5）短视频类：专门或者主要从事几秒到几分钟不等的短视频内容推送的平台，包括技能分享、幽默搞怪、时尚潮流、社会热点、街头采访、公益教育、广告创意、商业定制等主题。

（6）文学类：专门或者主要从事网络文学、数字出版物等主要电子阅读产品的平台，包括文学、社科、教育、时尚等内容。

2.6 信息资讯类平台

信息资讯类平台，连接的是人与信息，其主要功能包括提供新闻资讯、搜索服务、音视频资讯内容等。包括但不限于以下子平台：

（1）新闻门户类：专门或者主要从事提供新闻信息、娱乐资讯等互联网信息资源并提供有关信息服务的平台。

（2）搜索引擎类：专门或者主要从事对互联网上采集的信息进行组织和处理后，为用户提供检索服务，并将检索的相关信息展示给用户的平台。

（3）用户内容生成（UGC）类：专门或者主要从事用户将自己原创内容上传到互联网或者提供给其他用户的平台。

（4）视听资讯类：专门或者主要从事广播电台、音频分享等的平台。

（5）新闻机构类：专门或者主要从事新闻采集、制作、发布、经营等的平台。

2.7 金融服务类平台

金融服务类平台，连接的是人与资金，其主要功能包括提供支付结算的功能，提供网络贷款服务、金融理财服务、金融资讯和证券投资服务等。包括但不限于以下子平台：

（1）综合金融服务类：专门或者主要从事为小微企业和个人消费者提供普惠金融服务等的综合平台。

（2）支付结算类：专门或者主要从事互联网支付、移动电话支付等的支付服务平台。

（3）消费金融类：专门或者主要从事向消费者提供消费贷款的现代金融服务平台。

（4）金融资讯类：专门或者主要从事为用户提供行情报价、金融数据、财经信息、分析工具、组合管理等业务的综合性金融资讯平台。

（5）证券投资类：专门或者主要从事为金融机构提供整体的互联网技术（IT）解决方案和服务、为个人投资者提供财富管理工具等的金融服务平台。

2.8 计算应用类平台

计算应用类平台，连接的是人与计算能力，其主要功能包括应用在手机上、操作系统上，进行信息管理和云计算，提供网络服务等。包括但不限于以下子平台：

（1）智能终端类：专门或者主要从事数据通讯设备、信息系统、智能系统、无线数据产品等终端产品的开发、生产、销售、技术服务等的平台。

（2）操作系统类：专门或者主要从事移动操作系统、分布式操作系统等操作系统的研发、生产、销售等的平台。

（3）手机软件（APP）应用商店类：专门或者主要从事分析、设计、编码、生成APP软件的平台。

（4）信息管理类：专门或者主要从事企业资源计划（ERP）管理软件、财务系统、IT资讯等企业管理软件研发、技术服务等的平台。

（5）云计算类：专门或者主要从事为企业提供云计算服务的平台，包括提供网络基础设施服务（IAAS）、平台服务（PAAS）、应用软件服务（SAAS）等的平台。

（6）网络服务类：专门或者主要从事域名服务（DNS）、动态主机配置协议（DHCP）、Windows网际命名服务（WINS）、文件传输协议（FTP）、远程终端协议（Telnet）等的平台。

（7）工业互联网类：专门或者主要从事平台设计、智能制造、网络协同、个性定制、服务延伸、数字管理等的平台。

三、平台分级指南

3.1 分级依据

对平台进行分级，需要综合考虑用户规模、业务种类以及限制能力。用户规模即平台在中国的年活跃用户数量，业务种类即平台分类涉及的平台业务，限制能力即平台具有的限制或阻碍商户接触消费者的能力。

3.2 分级方案

根据上述分级依据，可以将互联网平台分为以下三级（见表2）：

表2 平台分级

平台分级	分级依据	具体标准
超级平台	超大用户规模	在中国的上年度年活跃用户不低于5亿
"	超广业务种类	核心业务至少涉及两类平台业务
"	超高经济体量	上年底市值（估值）不低于10000亿人民币
"	超强限制能力	具有超强的限制商户接触消费者（用户）的能力
大型平台	较大用户规模	在中国的上年度年活跃用户不低于5000万
"	主营业务	具有表现突出的平台主营业务
"	较高经济体量	上年底市值（估值）不低于1000亿人民币
"	较强限制能力	具有较强的限制商户接触消费者（用户）的能力
中小平台	一定用户规模	在中国具有一定的年活跃用户
"	一定业务种类	具有一定业务
"	一定经济体量	具有一定的市值（估值）
"	一定限制能力	具有一定的限制商户接触消费者（用户）的能力

3.3 超级平台

超级平台指同时具备超大用户规模、超广业务种类、超高经济体量和超强限制能力的平台。其中，超大用户规模，即平台上年度在中国的年活跃用户不低于5亿；超广业务种类，即平台核心业务至少涉及两类平台业务，该业务涉及网络销售、生活服务、社交娱乐、信息资讯、金融服务、计算应用等六大方面；超高经济体量，即平台上年底市值（估值）不低于10000亿人民币；超强限制能力，即平台具有超强的限制商户接触消费者（用户）的能力。

3.4 大型平台

大型平台指同时具备较大用户规模、较广业务种类、较多业务范围、较高经济体量和较强限制能力的平台。其中，较大用户规模，即平台上年度在中国的年活跃用户不低于5000万；较广业务种类，即平台具有表现突出的主营业务；较高经济体量，即平台上年底市值（估值）不低于1000亿人民币；较强限制能力，即平台具有较强的限制商户接触消费者（用户）的能力。

3.5 中小平台

中小平台指具有一定用户规模、有限业务种类、有限经济体量、有限限制能力的平台。