Fridae

China's infamous internet regulatory body the China Netcasting Services Association (CNSA) outlined a number of new stringent measures curbing internet freedom last week, prohibiting portrayals of homosexuality, prostitution and drug addiction.

Under the new rules, content will be edited or banned if it demonstrates "obscenity" including masturbation or displays "abnormal sexual behaviors" such as homosexuality.

Under the latest decree, which also bans content that promotes "luxurious lifestyles" or shows "violent and criminal processes in detail," online media were encouraged to hire three professional censors stick to the rules.

One of China's most famous sexologists condemned the latest move, according to the Independent.

"First of all, from the perspective of an artist, very few countries in this world set up a censorship system that violates its citizens' freedom to create arts," Li wrote on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website. "Second, it also violates the rights of sexual minorities to express their sexual preference."

Li Yinhe, China's leading scholar and advocate of free sexuality, also said in a Weibo post that under these regulations, "all audio-visual art will be revoked.

"Trying to regulate and censor people's desires is as absurd as trying to regulate and censor people's appetites."