Should Influencers Be Certified? Indonesian Government Considers China-Style Regulations!

The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) is currently evaluating China’s policy that mandates certification for influencers creating content on sensitive topics.

Bonifasius Wahyu Pudjianto, Head of the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) within Komdigi, stated that internal discussions and analyses are ongoing regarding influencer regulations similar to those in China.

“This information is still quite new. We are thoroughly reviewing it,” Bonifasius explained at the Komdigi Ministry Office in Central Jakarta on Friday (October 31). He added, “We have a WhatsApp group where we are discussing this issue: ‘Which countries have already implemented new policies?’ We are still assessing this.”

Komdigi consistently monitors policies implemented by other countries, particularly those aimed at safeguarding the digital ecosystem.

As an example, Indonesia drew lessons from Australia’s restrictions on social media use for minors, which subsequently led to the issuance of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning the Governance of Electronic System Operations for Child Protection (PP Tunas).

According to Bonifasius, the influencer certification policy in China is still under review and analysis. The government aims to prevent the spread of misinformation without stifling digital freedom for the public.

“We need to maintain control, but not to the extent of being overly restrictive. Competence is certainly necessary. We must prevent them from creating incorrect content,” he emphasized.

He stressed that, as of now, the government has not decided whether a similar policy will be implemented in Indonesia. Komdigi remains open to dialogue and input from various stakeholders regarding such regulations.

“We must listen to feedback. If it becomes necessary to implement such a policy, then fine, but how? What would it look like? There would certainly need to be a grading system. What aspects would we regulate? Who would it target? Because currently, there are so many content creators,” Bonifasius elaborated.

China Regulates Health Influencers

According to official sources, China’s National Health Commission (NHC), Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) unveiled a new regulatory framework for medical content on social media on August 1. These guidelines, titled ‘Guidelines for Regulating Self-Media Behavior in Medical Science,’ took effect in October.

The regulations encompass independently generated content not published by traditional or recognized media organizations but uploaded to social media or other online platforms.

These regulations emphasize stringent requirements for healthcare practitioners and related personnel when posting medical science information on social media. The rules also underscore the responsibility of social media platforms like Douyin, Bilibili, and Weibo to verify influencer account credentials and ensure content authenticity.

“To strengthen the primary responsibility of platforms in managing information content, standardizing the release and dissemination of medical science popularization information through ‘self-media,’ preventing disinformation, and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the public, this working notice is hereby issued,” an official statement from August reads.

The following are the detailed regulations:

1. Categorize and Verify Certified Account Qualifications
Social media platforms and other online media must enhance the qualification certification for medical ‘self-media’ accounts.

For accounts applying for relevant qualification certification, platforms must differentiate between various types of personnel in the medical field, such as medical institution practitioners, medical school personnel, and pharmaceutical research and development institutions. Account qualification verification must be conducted based on these categories:

• Medical institution practitioners: categorized into types such as Chinese and Western medicine doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical technicians, medical technicians, and scientific researchers. Qualification certificates like physician qualifications, medical practice licenses, nursing practice licenses, and technical qualifications for healthcare professionals are categorized and verified. Similarly, employment certificates issued by medical institutions are also checked.
• Personnel in medical schools and pharmaceutical research and development institutions: employment certificates issued by medical faculties, organizational code certificates, and employment certificates issued by institutional departments are verified.
• Practitioners in other medical fields: appropriate medical qualification certificates are verified based on the account name, profile, and other information.

2. Clearly Display Account Qualification Information
Following qualification verification, social media and other online platforms must enhance the display of authentication information on the account’s main page. This primarily includes:

• Professional name and scope
• Relevant qualification certificates such as physician qualifications, medical practice licenses, nursing practice licenses, and technical qualifications for healthcare professionals (pharmaceutical)
• Full name of the hospital/school/college/R&D institution department, employment status of the account operator
• Name of the contracted institution

Platforms must ensure users clearly understand the professional background and work experience of the account operator, enabling them to fully evaluate the authority and professionalism of medical popular science content published by ‘self-media’ accounts.

Furthermore, social media and other online platforms must strengthen the protection of personal information in accordance with the law and implement appropriate protective measures for relevant account qualification information.

Companies are required to explicitly label the sources of medical science information. Additionally, ‘self-media’ accounts providing medical science content are mandated to be responsible for the authenticity and scientific integrity of the information they publish and repost.

When quoting or reposting professional medical science content, creating fabricated stories using medical materials, generating synthetic medical science information using AI, or sharing and disseminating real health experiences, the source of the information must be explicitly labeled or marked as synthetic content.

The malicious creation and dissemination of false information, as well as the arbitrary splicing and reposting of inaccurate information, are strictly prohibited.

3. Meticulously Verify Qualifications
Social media and other online platforms must further strengthen the verification of the authenticity of certification materials in the medical science field.

Clear and verifiable information, such as the period and signing department of certificates and unit certifications, must be rigorously cross-referenced and verified.

Professional information for doctors, nurses, and other personnel must be verified and cross-referenced through official information channels of the National Health Commission.

If false or inaccurate certification information is discovered, or if the number of certified individuals in the same department/college/professional department significantly exceeds standard numbers, other suspicious situations must be handled in accordance with laws and contracts.

4. Further Verification to Prevent False Certification
Unqualified accounts are strictly prohibited from producing and publishing professional medical science popularization content.

Social media and other online platforms must enhance user agreements and strengthen the management of professional medical science popularization activities in accordance with laws and contracts.

Adhering to the principle of ‘strictly reviewing existing accounts and controlling new accounts,’ unqualified accounts are explicitly forbidden from producing and publishing medical content.

Existing medical influencer accounts will undergo strict review. Uncertified accounts will be notified to complete qualification certification within two months.

Newly registered content creator accounts are prohibited from producing and publishing medical content without medical qualification certification.

5. Reinforce Online Behavioral Norms
Social media and other online platforms should improve incentive mechanisms to encourage the production and dissemination of credible, high-quality, scientific, and professional medical information.

Platforms must strengthen the detection and handling of illegal medical influencers, strictly control the provision of illegal paid online medical services, and prohibit certified doctors from appearing on screen during live broadcasts by certified accounts.

6. Strict Prohibition of Covert Advertising
When promoting health and wellness knowledge, the address, contact information, and shopping links for product operators or service providers related to medical, pharmaceutical, medical device, health food, or food for special medical purposes must not appear on the same page or simultaneously.

7. Severe Penalties for Illegal and Irregular Information and Accounts
Influencer accounts that fail to meet requirements, incorrectly label information sources, or commit other violations will face progressive actions, including the removal of interactive features, follower deletion, revocation of monetization privileges, account suspension, and closure, in accordance with laws and contracts.

Lucky Yogasatria, Farhan Zubaedi, and Santi Yuliani (YouTube Lucky Yogasatria, Instagram Farhan Zubaedi and Santi Yuliani)

China’s Regulations for Financial Influencers

The National Radio and Television Administration and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism jointly issued an 18-article ‘code of conduct for online broadcasters’ in June 2022.

These guidelines mandate the disclosure of real names. Content presented must adhere to journalistic principles, comply with correct political rules and direction, respect the reputation and rights of citizens and legal entities, uphold personal privacy and portrait rights, and reject violence.

“For live-streamed content requiring a high level of professionalism, such as medical care, finance, law, and education, hosts must possess appropriate professional qualifications and report them to the platform,” the guidelines state.

Social media platforms like Douyin (China’s version of TikTok) and Weibo are required to review and store the qualifications of hosts for sensitive content categories, including medicine, finance, law, and education.

Influencer content on stocks, food, and skincare (Meta.ai/Katadata Desy Setyowati)

Problematic influencer accounts, those committing repeated violations, and those repeatedly inactive will be blocked and placed on a ‘blacklist’ or ‘warning list’.

These individuals will not be permitted to resume live streaming by simply changing accounts or platforms.

Influencers who commit crimes will face criminal liability in accordance with the law. Content creators who violate laws and ethics must not be given opportunities to appear publicly or on screen, preventing them from switching platforms and resuming their work in China.