今年，国家陆续出台了一系列政策，对科技互联网平台进行了整顿，意在更好的规范互联网平台的发展，维护公平合理的市场竞争及消费者的权益。
4月，阿里巴巴因违反《反垄断法》而被中国市场监督管理总局（“市监总局”）罚款182亿元，成为《平台经济反垄断指南》生效后的第一案，也创下中国史上最大笔企业罚款记录。
7月，工信部决定开展为期半年的“互联网行业专项整治行动”，聚焦扰乱市场秩序、侵害用户权益、威胁数据安全、违反资源和资质管理规定的问题。
紧接着，市监总局就《禁止网络不正当竞争行为规定》公开征求意见，这意味着“二选一”、“大数据杀熟”、虚假交易等不正当竞争行为将面临更严格的监管。
8月，全国人大常委会表决通过了《中华人民共和国个人信息保护法》，将于2021年11月1日起施行。此法进一步完善个人信息处理规则，对应用程序过度收集个人信息、大数据杀熟及非法买卖、泄露个人信息等提出针对性要求。
近期，国家更是进一步加强了对互联网平台的监管。
八月底，国家互联网信息办公室（“网信办”）出台了《互联网信息服务算法推荐管理规定（征求意见稿）》，以及市监总局公开征求《关于修改〈中华人民共和国电子商务法〉的决定（征求意见稿）》的意见，以此来规范互联网行业。此前，《电子商务法》于2019年1月正式生效。
网信办在意见稿中提出，算法推荐服务提供者不得设置诱导用户沉迷或者高额消费等违背公序良俗的算法模型等，以此对“大数据杀熟”、“流量造假”、“过度推荐”及“操纵榜单”的乱象进行监管，并全面规范各类算法推荐活动。
同时，国家拟通过对《电子商务法》的修改，加大对平台纵容知识产权侵权行为的处罚力度，加强知识产权的保护，规范平台经济秩序。
谈及此轮监管强化的原因，通力律师事务所合伙人潘永建律师告诉ALB，国家对互联网行业监管的收紧有其必然性。
“随着互联网行业发展进入下半场，监管速度逐渐超过行业发展速度，互联网行业发展红利逐渐减速，行业野蛮发展期将逐渐终结，这也符合行业发展规律。”潘律师说。
他指出，另一方面，互联网行业存在的特殊问题及其特殊性质也引发了此轮强监管。
潘律师认为，互联网行业存在不少问题。“在互联网行业发展初期，相对宽松的监管环境使得行业内乱象丛生: 从网络安全审查、外卖员用工管理、网络游戏防沉迷、算法规制，到电商平台责任、屏蔽竞争对手平台等违规领域，监管正在持续发力。” 他说道。
互联网行业的发展也与公众的利益密切相关。“互联网行业发展迅猛，互联网企业提供的服务日益成为公众生产生活的重要平台，互联网平台的社会属性和公共属性使得互联网行业监管问题社会关注度高、影响面广、群众反映强烈。” 潘永建律师说。
他还指出，互联网行业的发展深受国家政策导向的影响。“国家政策正在向新能源汽车、半导体、电动汽车电池、商用飞机和电信设备等高科技制造行业倾斜。将资本和人力资源从互联网企业引向那些有助于增强中国自立性的行业，是对经济‘脱实向虚’的纠偏。” 潘律师说。
在潘永建律师看来，与之前相比，此次监管领域更加多样化。
“近期受到强监管的领域呈现出明显的多样化特点，涵盖扰乱市场秩序、侵害用户权益、威胁数据安全、劳动用工保护等多重合规领域。”
--潘永建，通力律师事务所
“近期受到强监管的领域呈现出明显的多样化特点，涵盖扰乱市场秩序、侵害用户权益、威胁数据安全、劳动用工保护等多重合规领域。” 潘律师说道。
他同时认为，此次监管行动更加专项化。
“执法机关倾向于将违法行为作为重点问题进行专项整改。” 潘律师说。例如，屏蔽竞争对手平台问题即为今年七月工信部开展的专项整治对象。再如工信部正在开展的互联网行业专项整治行动，整个行动将持续半年，执法部门将通过组织企业自查整改、收集核查线索、建立问题台账、强化执法问责处置等方式落实行动。可以预期，专项整治将导致相关执法检查活动日常化、增加执法覆盖范围、加强执法力度。
而面对新一轮的政策监管，潘律师建议互联网企业正视相关问题，并且密切关注立法与执法动态。
“毋庸置疑，法律落后于互联网经济的发展。在此情形下，互联网企业不能因法律‘空白’的存在而抱有侥幸心理。近期互联网监管领域新规密集、执法行动频繁，密切关注监管立法与执法动态，梳理企业合规义务来源与要求至关重要。”他建议道。
与此同时，他还建议互联网企业就强监管领域开展合规自查，并就自查中发现的问题自行整改。未及时开展合规自查与整改可能引发约谈、强制下架、纳入失信名单、行政甚至刑事责任等后果。
最后，潘永建律师指出合规体系的建立与实施必不可少。他认为，不少互联网企业的员工普遍不了解相关合规制度，不清楚各自岗位的合规职责。每次遇到具体合规问题， “临时抱佛脚”将问题上交法务合规部咨询，或者直接导致违规事件爆发。
“建立整体的合规体系，能够为企业各部门建立标准化操作流程，使得各员工充分清晰了解其在合规工作中的职责，各司其职，防合规风险于未然。” 潘律师说。
REGULATORY TIGHTENING
With the aims of improving the development of the Internet industry, ensuring fair competition and protecting consumers’ rights, the Chinese government has launched a series of rules to regulate Internet platforms in 2021.
The past few months have seen a flurry of regulatory activity in China’s Internet sector.
In April, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) fined Alibaba Group a record 18.2 billion yuan ($2.75 billion) for violating the country’s Antitrust Law. The penalty was regarded as precedent-setting after the Antitrust Guidelines for the Platform Economy took effect. It also was China’s largest fine for anti-monopoly violations.
In July, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) launched a six-month campaign to tackle Internet misconduct. It focused on addressing issues including a disturbed market order, infringement of users’ rights, threats to data security and unauthorized Internet connections.
In turn, the SAMR also issued draft rules aimed at stopping unfair competition on the Internet. These draft rules highlighted market regulators’ push to tighten scrutiny over unfair competition, such as exclusive dealing agreements, big data discrimination and fake deals.
In August, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed the Personal Information Protection Law, which is set to take effect from the beginning of this November. The new law imposes restrictions on how personal information can be collected, used and managed, and prohibits excessive data collection, big data discrimination, as well as illegal trade and leaks of personal information.
Recently, the government has launched a new round of supervision of the platform economy.
In late August, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued guidelines on how technology companies can use algorithms to drive their business. The SAMR also proposed amendments to the E-commerce Law, which took effect in January 2019, to better regulate the Internet industry.
The CAC requires that algorithm providers not set up algorithm models that induce users to indulge or spend a large amount of money in consumption, which could disrupt the public order. It aims to comprehensively regulate algorithm recommendation services and address issues such as big data discrimination, fake reviews, excessive recommendations and the manipulation of rankings.
Meanwhile, China intends to punish platforms that fail to take the necessary measures against vendors who infringe on intellectual property rights by means of the revised e-commerce law.
A regulatory tightening of Internet platforms was inevitable, says David Pan, partner at Llinks Law Offices.
“As the Internet industry enters the second half of its development, the speed of regulation is gradually exceeding that of the development of the industry. The policy dividends for the Internet industry are diminishing and the era of the Internet industry developing by burning cash is going to end, which is in line with the law of industry development,” says Pan.
He believes regulatory tightening is also triggered by issues and characteristics unique to the Internet industry.
Without regulation, Pan points to the initial chaos in the early days of the Internet industry.
“The Internet sector in the early stage experienced relatively loose regulations. The regulators are taking measures to correct it, from the cybersecurity review, stricter rules for the employment of deliveryman, strict limits on the time young people spend playing online games, new rules for algorithms, to more e-commerce platforms’ responsibilities and supervision of blocking links to other platforms,” says Pan.
IMPACTING DAILY LIFE
The development of the Internet industry has also impacted daily life.
“It developed rapidly and has become an important platform to provide services for people in daily life. The social and public attributes of the Internet industry have led to more social attention, wider impact and strong public feedback on the regulations,” says Pan.
He also believes that government policies play a big role in the development of the Internet industry.
“Stimulus policies are tilting toward high-tech manufacturing industries such as new energy vehicles, semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries, commercial aircraft, and telecommunications equipment. They are correcting an ‘emphasis on the virtual economy’ by directing capital and human resources from Internet companies to industries that contribute to China’s self-reliance,” Pan points out.
Compared to previous measures, Pan believes the latest regulation includes diversified sectors.
“Several areas have received tightened scrutiny. It shows that regulations are expanding to different areas, covering market order, users’ rights, data security and labor protections.”
--David Pan, Llinks Law Offices
“Several areas have received tightened scrutiny. It shows that regulations are expanding to different areas, covering market order, users’ rights, data security and labour protections,” says Pan.
Meanwhile, “the law enforcement agencies tend to focus on the rectifications of illegal activities by launching different projects and tackle the problems one by one,” Pan observes.
For example, MIIT launched a campaign back in July to address the issue of blocking competitors' platforms. Also, the campaign on Internet misconduct could last half a year. The law enforcement agencies will organize enterprises to conduct self-inspections and rectifications, collect clues, identify problems and strengthen their accountability systems.
Pan expects these will lead to the normalization of some law enforcement inspections. He believes regulators will also include more areas and strengthen law enforcement.
In the face of ever-evolving regulations, Pan says Internet companies should keep an eye on legislation and law enforcement.
“There is no doubt that the law is not keeping pace with the development of the Internet economy. In this case, Internet firms should not think they have a lucky escape from any illegal activities as there is no specific law to regulate them. Recently, the regulators issued tons of new rules for the Internet industry and took enforcement actions frequently. It is important to pay close attention to legislation and law enforcement, as well as sort out the requirements of corporate compliance,” he says.
Meanwhile, Pan says Internet companies should conduct self-inspections on corporate compliance and rectify any issues. If they fail to do so in a timely manner, regulators may summon them for talks or their apps could be delisted from stores. Also, they may be added to the list of dishonest judgment debtors and even bear administrative or criminal responsibility.
Finally, Pan believes it is necessary to establish compliance systems. He says many employees working at Internet firms do not know about compliance systems and related responsibilities they need to take. When there is a compliance problem, they just ask for help from the legal department. Eventually, this could lead to legal violations.
“It could help to build standardized operating procedures by establishing a complete compliance system,” Pan suggests. “Employees would be more familiar with their responsibilities related to corporate compliance to prevent compliance risks.”
To contact the editorial team, please email ALBEditor@thomsonreuters.com.