The regulation ‘Measures on the Administration of Internet Religious Informative Services’, which comes into effect from March 1, bans all foreign organizations and individuals from spreading religious content online in China and Tibet, except for those who have acquired government licenses, Phayul reported.

The report also highlighted the message president Xi Jinping gave last December during the national conference on ‘Work Related to Religious Affairs’ where the CCP head called for punitive measures against those who use social networks for religious purposes or criticizes government policy on religion, the news portal reported.

Tibet Watch further confirmed that authorities in Amdo region recently imposed a ban on sharing religious content on social media, especially the messaging app WeChat, reports Phayul.

“With the inevitable closure of these WeChat groups, dispensing practical apolitical information, the hundreds and thousands of Tibetan group members will now have to depend on atheist Chinese government sources for religious discourses and content, effectively imposing further restrictions on the practice of Tibetan Buddhism,” the report stated accusing the CCP of ‘sinicizing’ Buddhism.