China tightens the noose around search engines

China's internet regulator, which already exercises widespread control over the web, has asked search engines to further tighten the management of paid-for ads in search results. The regulator has said that the operators will have to clearly mention which results are paid-for and also limit their numbers.

The Chinese government plans to codify its internet policies in law. Last month, Chinese regulators imposed limits on the number of healthcare adverts that can Baidu Inc carry on its search engine. The move was a knee-jerk response to the death of a student who underwent an experimental cancer treatment he found using China's biggest internet search engine. The incident had created widespread debate in the country.

Chinese officials justify these internet restrictions, including the blocking of popular foreign sites like Google and Facebook, citing security concerns in the face of rising threats, such as terrorism. However, foreign governments and business groups have repeatedly critiqued the restrictions on the internet as a broader trade issue.

The Cyberspace Administration of China has said that search engines must investigate the aptitude of clients offering paid-for ads, set a clear upper limit on such ads and clearly distinguish which are paid-for ads and which come from "natural searches".

"Internet search providers should earnestly accept corporate responsibility toward society, and strengthen their own management in accordance with the law and rules, to provide objective, fair and authoritative search results to users," the regulator said in a statement.