Wuhan's cyberspace administration office on Monday ordered a local company to shut down an online live-broadcasting channel after the channel was used to air a live broadcast of a couple having sex, as reported by the Global Times.
On Monday, photos circulated online showing a couple having sex on the live-broadcasting platform of Hubei-based Douyu TV Co. Around 1,000 netizens reportedly viewed the video, with some posting screenshots of the broadcast on Chinese social media.
The incident violated related regulations on cyberspace management and went against standards of social morality, according to Wuhan Internet authorities.
According to local news portal cjn.cn, the company was also ordered to clean up its website to make rectifications.
An officer from Wuhan Public Security Bureau said on Monday that the bureau has received reports of the incident, and they have launched an investigation.
Douyu TV responded via a statement on its official Sina Weibo account stating that the company is against all activities that endanger social security in live broadcasts. It also said that the company requires real names from its live broadcast hosts when they register.
"We never tolerate such activities. The platform's administrators stopped the video instantly and have reported the host's personal information to police. The user's actions violated laws, and the company reserves the right to file a lawsuit," the company said in its statement.
The company also released a notice that asked the hosts of the platform to agree to a newly issued self-discipline pledge in order to create a decent live-broadcasting environment. This bans all content that involves pornography, violence or separatist activity.
All over China, live-broadcasting platforms are becoming popular. This is giving rise to new enterprises wherein people earn money by hosting live shows.
Live broadcasts often contain content like gaming commentary, karaoke and online lectures.
However, netizens claim that female hosts often wear revealing clothes and pose in suggestive positions during their broadcasts in order to attract followers.
On Sunday, China's top Internet regulator announced that all websites providing services based on Internet technology must take legal responsibility for their content, noting that this is the foundation of the Internet development in the country.