Imagine a land in which Big Tech can't send you down online rabbit holes or use algorithms to overcharge you

Internet echo chambers and nasty e-commerce tricks that analyze your behavior to milk you for more cash are set to be banned – in China.

Beijing's internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), on Sunday launched a campaign to crack down on such practices and the recommendation algorithms that power them.

What many refer to as echo chambers, the CAC has called "information cocoons." It wants to force tech providers into coming up with ways to prevent them, and has called for a ban on pushing "highly homogeneous content."

Which is not to say that dissent against the Communist Party or Socialist ideals is being encouraged or allowed – let's not get crazy here.

"Users must not be compelled to select interest tags, illegal or harmful information must not be used in user tags or for targeted content, and personal information should not be collected beyond what is necessary for content recommendations," stated the CAC.

While surely the CAC is aware of the role social media echo chambers play in influencing public opinion, the regulator cited the risk of internet addiction as its main motivation.

The CAC has also called for increased transparency over how the algorithms work – including publicly disclosing how online platforms rank content to prevent their misuse for spreading hype, according to the regulator.

Using algorithms for discriminatory pricing is also on the naughty list. China's e-commerce industry – a business segment on which Beijing has pinned its hopes as an economic driver and source of export revenue – has increasingly come to rely on the algorithms.

The CAC's directive orders that platforms are not able to target differentiated pricing on products based on factors like age, occupation, and consumption level, and that there must be transparency when issuing or rejecting discount coupons.

Businesses have been given until the end of the year to assess and self-correct their practices, with local authorities required to step up and assess matters in January. By mid-February, a more thorough government assessment is expected to be completed, signifying the end of the campaign.

Penalties for violations were not defined, but were promised to match the extent of any violation.

Beijing drew its eye toward monitoring algorithms back in March of 2022. At that time, it required platforms make it possible to opt out of targeted content. It also dictated that tech services make their algorithms public.

In August, it revealed a rare look behind the curtain of the nation's most influential platforms, when it released details of 30 algorithms used by the likes of Alibaba, ByteDance, Tencent, Baidu and more.

Those actions were explained as part of an effort to open internet service providers to regulatory scrutiny and promote "positive energy" across its internet.

Beijing admits that although it's come a long way in two years, it would like to further its progress.

"The algorithm application ecosystem has become increasingly standardized, but there are still some typical problems that need to be continuously strengthened," wrote the CAC on Sunday. ®