Two livestream hosts promote products at the 18th Global New E-commerce Expo in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on March 9, 2026. The expo has brought together more than 2,000 e-commerce brands from around the world, highlighting new scenarios empowered by the digital economy. Photo: VCG

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and the State Administration for Market Regulation on Monday jointly issued a document on regulating online product review and testing activities, in a bid to uphold fair market competition and protect the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations.

The circular, published on the CAC's website, contains 12 provisions. It rules that entities conducting online product review and testing activities shall comply with applicable laws, administrative regulations and relevant national provisions, observe business ethics and public order and good morals, and adhere to the principles of objectivity, impartiality, completeness and accuracy. They shall uphold a fair competitive market order, protect the lawful rights and interests of third parties, and contribute to a clean and clear cyberspace.

Samples selected for online review and testing shall be ordinary consumer products available on the open market with traceable sources. Specially prepared items produced exclusively for testing purposes shall not be used. Where food products are subject to inspection and testing, the testing party shall hold the corresponding statutory qualifications. Nonstandard testing methods shall not be used, nor shall any item be tested for which no national standard test method exists, according to the circular.

According to the document, where a product is evaluated solely on the basis of subjective impressions without conducting actual testing, this fact shall be clearly stated. Website platforms shall strengthen the content management of online review and testing information, and promptly accept, handle and dispose of relevant complaints and reports.

In recent years, online product review and testing activities have grown rapidly in China. Review and testing entities publish test procedures and evaluation results - obtained through physical testing, comparative data analysis, citation of professional test reports, or descriptions of personal usage experience - to provide reference for consumers' purchasing decisions. However, certain online reviews have involved exaggerated claims, purely subjective evaluations without actual testing, or the integration of paid promotion with ostensibly independent reviews. Such practices not only undermine consumer trust and consumers' shopping experience but also disrupt normal market order.

An official of the CAC stated that entities conducting online product review and testing activities should comply with the requirements of the Specification, consciously regulate their own behavior, uphold a fair competitive market order and protect the lawful rights and interests of third parties, and help maintain a clean and clear cyberspace. 

The CAC and market regulatory authorities will strengthen supervision over online review and testing activities and investigate and punish violations of laws and regulations in accordance with the law.

Global Times