A total of 128 dating websites were shut down and more than 20 were punished for containing dishonest information and violating regulations, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced Sunday.
The dating websites were punished mainly because they were not registered legally, published dishonest information, deliberately exposed user' information or allow users to transmit malicious sexual content.
A spokesman for the CAC said the operation aims at curbing illicit dating websites and protecting the public interest, as well as creating mechanisms to guarantee that dating sites provide honest service.
Many dating websites voiced their support for the operation.
Wu Linguang, CEO of jiayuan.com, one of the top dating websites in China with more than 100 million users, said the operation cleaned up the online environment, which would benefit the industry as a whole.
Dong Jian, CEO of youyuan.com, said maintaining the authenticity of users' information is the key to ensuring integrity in cyberspace. The company requires its members to verify their information through their national identity card and mobile phone verification when they register.
Online dating has become an active industry in China. According to the 2015 Online Marriage and Dating Industry Report issued by consulting company iResearch in February, the industry continued to grow, earning 2.3 billion yuan ($370 million) in revenue in 2014, a 13.7 percent increase compared with that of 2013.
Wang Shuqin, a professor with the College of Political Science and Law of Capital Normal University, said that strengthening the management and authenticity of dating websites helps create a fair and competitive online market.
"The operation has achieved a good result. It acted as a deterrent to violators and also had positive impact on the industry's development," a CAC statement noted on Sunday.
The cleanup operation was carried out by the CAC and several government agencies including the Ministry of Public Security, the All-China Women's Federation and the Ministry of Civil Affairs since February.
