Company: ZHIHF
Filing Date: 2025-04-15
Form Type: 20-F
Source: 0001410578-25-000729
Chunk: 123

Company: Zhihu Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-15
Form: 20-F
Item: Item 3
Chunk 123
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ulations Relating to Internet Advertisement

The PRC Advertisement Law, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on October 27, 1994 and last amended on April 29, 2021, requires advertisers to ensure that the contents of the advertisements are true. The content of advertisements cannot contain prohibited information, including but not limited to: (i) information that harms the dignity or interests of the nation or divulges state secret, (ii) information that contains wordings such as “national level,” “highest level,” and “best,” and (iii) information that contains ethnic, racial, religious, or sexual discrimination. Advertisements posted or published through the internet cannot affect normal usage of network by users. Advertisements published in the form of pop-up window on the internet must display the close button clearly to make sure that the viewers can close the advertisement by one-click.

On February 25, 2023, the SAMR promulgated the Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising, which took effect on May 1, 2023. The Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising Administration regulate any advertisement published on the internet, including but not limited to, those on websites, webpage, and Apps, in the forms of text, picture, audio and video. The measures strengthen the management of pop-up advertisements, link advertisements, and advertorials, among others. The measures stipulate that the promotion of commodities or services in the form of paid listing on the internet must be conspicuously identified as an advertisement. Moreover, they require advertisers, operators, and publishers of internet advertisements containing links to examine the content directed by the next-level link. In addition, internet platform operators are obliged to cooperate with advertising monitoring, assist in supervision, and provide statistical data.

Table of Contents

On August 22, 2024, the SAMR published the Regulatory Enforcement Guidelines on the Identifiability of Internet Advertisements. The guidelines require commercial advertisements released through internet media be identifiable by consumers as advertisements and distinguished by consumers from other non-advertising information without misunderstanding. Internet advertisement publishers may enhance the identifiability of internet advertisements through text annotation or voice prompts, both of which should clearly indicate the advertisement as “advertisement” and should be responsible for internet advertisements without if such internet advertisements is not identifiable as advertisements.

Regulations Relating to Information Security

Internet content in the PRC is also regulated and restricted from a state security point of view. The Decision Regarding the Safeguarding of Internet Security,