The Beijing industry and commerce authority said Friday it will
closely monitor fraudulent advertisements on the internet,
including claims of being the "best college entrance exam training
classes" and franchising programs that say "invest a grand and get
millions in a month".
The measure is a response to online ads that provide false
product information or exaggerate the qualities and functions of
products and services, said officials with the Beijing Municipal
Industry and Commerce Bureau.
Fines for offenders can reach five times the cost of the
advertising, officials said, citing the national law on
advertising.
The authority's advertisement monitoring center registered
11,207 fraudulent or illegal advertisements in 2006, making up 0.3
percent of the four million ads posted on television, radio, the
internet and in newspapers in the capital.
Advertisements for cigarettes and medical treatments, which are
outlawed by national bans, can still be found in some media
supports.
The Beijing municipal industry and commerce authority called on
media outlets in the capital to censor advertisements before the
public sees or hears them.
Nationwide, Chinese industrial and commercial authorities
recorded 61,800 illegal advertisements last year, including 16,600
fraudulent ones.
Eleven Chinese government departments, including the State
Administration for Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of
Information Industry, the Ministry of Health and the State Food and
Drug Administration, vowed on Tuesday to crack down on fraudulent
advertisements to protect the rights and interests of
consumers.
The crackdown will mainly target ads for medicines, medical
services, foodstuffs, cosmetics and beauty services.
(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2007)