Beijing education authorities rule out ads, hongbao in student WeChat groups

Beijing’s Municipal Education Commission on Tuesday published a slew of new rules banning ads, online games, and “red packets,” among others, from elementary or middle school-related social media.

The rules cover apps, microblogging accounts on Weibo, chatroom-like groups on popular messaging platforms WeChat and QQ, and WeChat’s official accounts—often used by organizations for media or public relations purposes. The commission requires schools and teachers to evaluate such services and correct any violations before March 1.

The move comes after China’s Ministry of Education banned apps it deemed to be harmful from school campuses last month, targeting pornographic and violent content, online gaming, and advertising. The ban followed calls by Chinese President Xi Jinping to create a “clean and righteous cyberspace.”

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