BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China's cyberspace regulator on Friday pledged to step up regulation of algorithms used by lifestyle service platforms to address issues such as discriminatory order allocation, unfair pricing and excessive delivery penalties.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a press release that a national campaign has yielded tangible progress since a trial negative list was issued in January. This list was designed to curb problematic algorithm practices on platforms in sectors like food delivery, ride-hailing, freight transport, e-commerce, online travel and ticketing.
According to the CAC, local cyberspace regulators, together with relevant government departments, have since launched rectification campaigns requiring major platforms to conduct self-inspections and make corrections in line with the guidelines.
Major companies, including Meituan, Taobao's instant shopping service, JD.com and Didi Chuxing, have introduced 63 optimization measures to improve the transparency, fairness and reasonableness of their algorithms, the statement said.
In terms of order allocation, several major platforms pledged not to assign orders differently based on factors such as drivers' or delivery riders' gender, age or previous order-taking history.
Authorities also said platforms have improved delivery-time estimation systems by allowing more flexible delivery windows and largely eliminating fines for delayed deliveries.
Regarding pricing algorithms, the platforms committed not to charge different prices for the same product or service under identical transaction conditions based on users' browsing history, willingness to pay, purchasing power, spending records or consumption preferences.
Despite the progress, the CAC acknowledged that some platforms still showed problems such as selective rectification and reluctance to act unless competitors have made changes.
The administration said it will continue working with relevant authorities to strengthen implementation of the negative list, further clarify platform responsibilities, and organize special inspections when necessary to assess progress and enforce compliance.
Platforms found to have serious violations will face penalties in accordance with laws and regulations, the statement said. ■
