NUMBER ONE STAN

China Bans Celeb Popularity Rankings to Fight ‘Chaos’ Among Warring Fandoms

The Chinese government has banned lists ranking celebrities by popularity to “rectify chaos in the fan community.”

China has reportedly banned lists that rank celebrities by their popularity in an attempt to stop fandoms from picking fights with each other. According to The Guardian, new laws published by Chinese state media say that any existing lists that rank Chinese celebrities will have to be pulled from the internet. The laws are designed “to rectify chaos in the fan community” and will allow the state “strictly regulate” fan pages and online profiles, which officials claim lead to bullying among fans. However, lists that rank songs, films and TV shows are still permitted. The legislation is the result of a two-month special operation targeting fandom culture, which the Chinese government said has become harmful to kids.