Popular Chinese microblogging website Sina Weibo has issued a ban on all forms of "erotic content," including pictures of models in bikinis or lingerie.

The new directive was first announced by the Chief Executive Officer of Weibo Wang Gaofei on his account. According to Mr. Gaofei, any modeling agencies that are found to be violating these terms will be banned from using the platform.

Like Us on Facebook

According to International Business Times, the decision to introduce strict limitations on erotic content is in line with the latest moves by Chinese authorities to clampdown on "vulgar and pornographic" materials online. For many years, Sina Weibo was seen one of the least restrictive social media platforms in the country. However, experts say it became necessary for strict censorship rules to be introduced as people increasingly took to the platform to air their political grievances.

In 2012, more than 100,000 accounts were closed on Sina Weibo for violating the company's censorship guidelines. According to Beijing Youth Daily, nearly 4,000 of these accounts were penalized for posting materials considered to be pornographic.

A statement from Sina Weibo noted that all modeling agencies who wish to continue using the platform must supply proof of their accreditation. The company further warned that all accounts which violate these terms will have their authentication rescinded.

The latest announcements from Weibo have been criticized by several users of the microblogging platform. Experts say Weibo is slowly losing its foremost position among Chinese social media platforms to competitors like WeChat.

A recent report by US researchers revealed that censors delete up to 12 percent of the messages posted on Weibo daily within a few minutes after they appear because they violate the company's guidelines, according to Free Asia Radio. Besides erotic content, Weibo users are also outlawed from posting vulgar and violent materials, as well as any content that contains blacklisted words or links to banned websites.

TagsSina Weibo models in underwear censorship, Sina Weibo censorship, China social media, Sina Weibo censorship, China Weibo Censorship, Weibo Internet Censorship