China passes new regulations on online advertising

China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce has passed a comprehensive set of laws aimed at regulating online advertising. The new laws are said to protect against ‘false or misleading practices’, especially in the field of medicine. In April, a Chinese student died from cancer after trying ineffective treatment that was advertised  by Baidu, which caused public uproar in the country. Nevertheless, the rules may significantly affect e-businesses, search engines and social media platforms, as they rely heavily on online advertising. The regulations will enter into force in September.