Are pop-ups in software annoying? You have to be honest now

The Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce held a special symposium on "Regulating Internet Pop-ups" on the 24th to conduct special research on regulating the chaos of Internet pop-ups. They decided to launch a special action to "Regulate Internet Pop-ups" in the near future, further intensify the regulation of Internet pop-ups, and severely investigate and punish illegal pop-ups that spread obscene and pornographic information, Trojan viruses, fraudulent information, etc.

With the rapid development of the Internet, online pop-ups have basically covered most Internet products, including websites, web games and players, and have become an important way to spread information and promote advertisements online. At the same time, online pop-up ads are rampant, and the phenomenon of using online pop-ups to spread harmful information is also very common. According to incomplete statistics, among the commonly used software by Chinese netizens, there are 1,221 software with pop-up ads, of which nearly 500 software have more than 1,000 pop-up ads per day.

Although relevant departments have dealt with pop-up windows on the Internet many times before, the problem is still very prominent. According to statistics from the Internet Illegal and Harmful Information Reporting Center, the public's reports on pop-up windows on the Internet are mainly concentrated in the following four aspects: First, the spread of obscene, pornographic and vulgar information.

Pop-ups on the Internet use pornographic and vulgar pictures or videos to induce netizens to click and promote overseas pornographic websites. Second, publish false information to commit fraud. Fraud is carried out under the guise of discounted products, part-time jobs, winning prizes, etc., or illegal drugs are promoted, and the efficacy of drugs is exaggerated to deceive netizens to buy. Third, news information is released in violation of regulations. Some websites, software, players, etc. that have not obtained the qualifications for Internet news information services illegally compile and publish current political news, and reprint information from unknown sources to mislead netizens. Fourth, spread malicious plug-ins such as Trojan viruses. Some pop-ups on the Internet contain malicious plug-ins, which are automatically downloaded to the user's terminal, forcibly installed, and steal user personal information.

Relevant officials of the Cyberspace Administration of China pointed out that the focus of this special campaign is to urge websites to fulfill their main responsibilities. First, harmful pop-up information is strictly prohibited. It is strictly prohibited to spread obscene, pornographic and vulgar information, false fraud information, Trojan virus malicious plug-ins and news information released in violation of regulations; second, the pop-up behavior is regulated. It includes the following four aspects: (1) Display the software name. Software pop-up advertisements must display the software name in the title bar area; (2) Prohibit automatic opening. Pop-up software is prohibited from automatically opening the advertisement page without user operation; (3) Ensure one-click shutdown. Software with network pop-up function must set a close button and channel in a conspicuous location. (4) Control the number and location. Network pop-ups must not be too excessive and affect netizens' online experience. Websites must control the number and location of pop-ups.

The special campaign of "rectifying online pop-ups" is divided into three phases: the first phase is to launch the special campaign and urge websites to conduct self-examination and self-correction. The second phase is to carry out social education, promote social reporting, and guide netizens to improve their self-prevention capabilities. The third phase is to supervise and inspect, promote industry organizations such as the Internet Association and the Advertising Association to formulate self-discipline norms, and promote the establishment of a long-term mechanism. The relevant person in charge of the State Internet Information Office said that it is hoped that the majority of netizens will actively report to the Internet Illegal and Bad Information Reporting Center (www.12377.cn) and provide clues.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.