China's CAC Promulgates Administrative Law Enforcement Procedures

The Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”) promulgated the Procedures for Administrative Law Enforcement by the Cyberspace Administration Departments (网信部门行政执法程序规定, “Enforcement Procedures”) on March 18, 2023, effective June 1, 2023.¹ The Enforcement Procedures in 58 articles across five chapters define the administrative law enforcement procedures under the framework of “case filing - investigation and evidence collection - hearing - penalty decision – execution,” clarify jurisdiction, and improve due process for the parties concerned. The Enforcement Procedures are intended to strengthen CAC's law enforcement efforts in a more systematic and professional way. 

CAC's authority has undergone significant changes since promulgation of the Administrative Law Enforcement Procedures for the Administration of Internet-based Information Contents (互联网信息内容管理行政执法程序规定, 2017). The role of the CAC has expanded from “content-based” administration (censorship) to