Weibo said the closed user accounts represented only the first batch that the Beijing-based social media giant, with around 566m monthly active users as of the second quarter, is expected to permanently ban, following the latest guidelines published by internet watchdog the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
The first phase of the CAC’s campaign will last for two months, during which it will work with other authorities that include the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the People’s Bank of China, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission.