BEIJING – As families across China get ready to reunite for the Lunar New Year celebrations starting February 17, 2026, the country’s main internet watchdog has launched a new nationwide “cleanup” drive.
This time, officials are putting a bright spotlight on online conversations about marriage and having children. Posts that describe real financial strain can now get tagged as “spreading negative energy,” language regulators say, which clashes with national population goals.
On February 12, 2026, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced a month-long “Qinglang” campaign. The agency said it wants a “festive, harmonious, and positive” online mood during the Spring Festival.
In past years, these efforts focused on scams, rumors, and vulgar content. However, this round also calls out posts that “promote anti-marriage or anti-childbirth narratives,” stir up “gender antagonism,” or amplify “fear of marriage” and “anxiety about childbirth.”
Why marriage and childbirth posts are getting hit now
China is dealing with a worsening demographic crisis. Births have sunk to record lows, and last year’s numbers marked the steepest drop since 1949. At the same time, the population has fallen for several years in a row. High costs, shaky job prospects, and changing views among younger adults all play a role.
Many young people are putting off marriage or skipping it. They also delay parenthood, or choose not to have kids at all, because the math feels impossible. Housing, childcare, school fees, and even weddings can add up fast.
Online, that stress often shows up in blunt phrases like “marriage is too expensive” or “having kids leads to bankruptcy.” Under the new rules, posts like these could disappear. Regulators describe them as content that “maliciously incites negative emotions” and “disrupts national population policy.”
The CAC notice says platforms should curb:
- Posts promoting “no marriage and no childbearing” or other “anti-marriage” views
- Content that stirs conflict between men and women
- Over-the-top stories about family fights, including AI-generated junk content that boosts themes like “parental bias” or “in-law disputes.”
- Other “low-quality” posts made to grab clicks with shock value
Major platforms, including Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu, now face stronger pressure to spot and remove flagged content quickly. If they don’t, they could face penalties, which fits the strict enforcement pattern seen in earlier Qinglang campaigns.
The crackdown fits a larger push to raise births
This campaign lands as China tries harder to lift fertility rates. Across different regions, authorities have rolled out a mix of incentives, such as:
- Cash support for young children (for example, around 3,600 yuan per year for each child under three in some areas)
- Longer marriage leave in several provinces, reaching 30 days in certain places
- Easier marriage registration, including options to marry outside local hukou limits
- Local perks such as spending vouchers, housing support, and special wedding venues
Marriage registrations rose a bit in 2025, which offered a brief bright spot. Still, many analysts say the core issues remain. Younger adults often put career stability and personal freedom first, especially when costs keep climbing. Some also look for other forms of comfort, including AI companion pets.
The shift is striking. China once enforced strict birth limits under the one-child policy. Now, it promotes larger families with growing urgency. At the same time, tighter online controls add a coercive edge that worries people who care about free expression.
What people are saying, and what’s getting erased
Clear examples are harder to find because removals happen quickly. Even so, past trends show that many people vent online during holiday visits. The Lunar New Year often brings a familiar script at family tables: “When will you get married?” and “When will you have a baby?” That pressure has long fueled memes and complaints, and now those posts can draw unwanted attention.
Commentators say this approach resembles earlier moves to reduce what officials called overly pessimistic sentiment. In 2025, authorities also aimed at influencers who promoted low-pressure lifestyles or criticized the costs of marriage. Some accounts with huge followings have faced suspensions for similar themes.
Critics say the policy attacks the symptoms, not the causes. They point to rising education costs, gender imbalances tied to past policies, and workplace burdens that often fall hardest on women. Supporters, on the other hand, describe the crackdown as a way to protect social harmony and push back on “bad values” that could speed up the population slide.
What it means for speech, and for daily life
This focus on marriage and childbirth shows how far Beijing’s online controls can reach. The CAC has long removed political dissent and pornography. Now, it also polices personal choices when they conflict with state priorities.
Many observers worry the result will be less honest discussion about why people hesitate to marry or have children. When posts about money worries vanish, frustration can still grow offline. That may deepen distrust among young adults who already doubt that pro-birth incentives will change their day-to-day reality.
As the Spring Festival begins, families will gather for dumplings and traditions. Meanwhile, many online spaces may grow quieter on topics that feel most personal. Whether this push creates real optimism or only mutes complaints will become clearer over time.
China faces an aging society and a shrinking workforce, so the stakes keep rising. For now, regulators are sending a simple signal: keep the tone upbeat, or keep quiet, as the Year of the Horse approaches.
