Under the new guidelines, only video from official sources will be allowed to be shared on social platforms such as Sina Webo, which is similar to Twitter, or on WeChat, which is more like an amalgam of Facebook and WhatsApp.

“Weibo, WeChat and other online social media are not allowed to disseminate user-generated audio or video programs about current events,” China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television said, while calling for companies to “strengthen the management” of content on their platforms.

The number of videos made by internet users has rocketed in the past year, with live streaming apps some of the most popular. Weibo’s CEO Gaofei Wang recently said in a filing: “We are seeing short video and live video taking off”, according to The Guardian.

Less than a week ago, China introduced compulsory registration for presenters of online video shows, to further tighten control over Internet content.

Operators of over-the-top (OTT) services must now identify the real names of their presenters via interviews or video calls and apply for licences from provincial cultural authorities, which will be filed with the ministry, the Cultural Ministry said.

Online content presenters from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries also now require a permit.