Several major Chinese video platforms are facing investigation for providing platforms for "Elsagate" videos, China's anti-pornography office said on Monday.
A number of inappropriate cartoons and reality shows involving inappropriate content after Elsagate videos were uploaded to Youtube.
Elsagate refers to a trend in which seemingly innocent animation and reality show videos believed to be aimed at children that actually involve bloody, pornographic and violent content were uploaded to Youtube.
Chinese online video platforms including Tencent, Youku, Iqiyi and Haokan operating under Baidu are accused of displaying videos containing violent content made by a domestic company and are now facing investigations and punishments, according to a statement released by the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications on Monday.
In addition to those copied from Youtube, reality show videos which include scenes of adults beating children with rulers and of a boy giving a girl an injection after lifting her skirt have circulated online in China.
Guangzhou Yinjun Trading Company in South China's Guangdong Province was accused of making inappropriate reality shows with a plot using classic cartoon character dolls and uploading those videos to major video platforms,said the statement.
The company published such vulgar videos on the platforms under the account named "Fun Disney," earning 2.2 million yuan ($336,000) in profits from the act.
The company's business license was revoked by authorities on February 6.
China's government agencies and departments including the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television vowed on Monday to eradicate vulgar, pornographic and violent shows on the country's livestreaming and video platforms through a concerted national campaign from now to the end of April.
