Before launching a website or app, complete ICP filing and retain logs for at least 6 months per classification protection requirements
ICP filing costs nothing and takes a few weeks via a cloud provider’s process. Domains cannot be resolved at all without filing for servers located within China. Entities that fail to file must first be ordered to make corrections; if they refuse, their websites are shut down. Failing to display the filing number on a homepage results in fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 yuan. If a site is registered as non-commercial but actually charges fees, it is treated as operating without a license: any illegal earnings are confiscated and fines of 100,000 to 1,000,000 yuan apply. Logs must be retained for at least 6 months; failure to do so results in orders to correct the issue and warnings, and if ignored or if consequences occur, fines of 10,000 to 100,000 yuan are imposed.
Filing itself is free;
Commercial internet information services require a license, while non-commercial ones must be filed. Operating…
Filing itself is free; using a cloud provider’s process typically takes a few weeks. Classification protection assessments are charged based on the level of the system. Classification protection, also known as “DB”, is a set of national security management measures that classify systems by importance and set corresponding requirements for websites and systems; small websites generally do not need to undergo assessments.
Commercial internet information services require a license, while non-commercial ones must be filed. Operating without a license or filing is prohibited. Entities that fail to file must be ordered by telecom regulators to make corrections; refusal leads to website shutdowns. Unlicensed operations result in confiscation of illegal earnings and fines of 3 to 5 times that amount, or 100,000 to 1,000,000 yuan. Not displaying the filing number on a homepage incurs fines of 5,000 to 50,000 yuan. Network operators must develop security management policies per classification protection rules, guard against attacks, retain network logs for at least 6 months, and classify, back up, and encrypt data. Failure to comply leads to orders to correct the issue and warnings; if ignored or if consequences occur, fines of 10,000 to 100,000 yuan are imposed, and responsible personnel face fines of 5,000 to 50,000 yuan nationwide.
国务院 (2011). 互联网信息服务管理办法（2011 年修订，第四、十九、二十二条）. https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2011/content_1860864.htm；全国人大常委会 (2025). 网络安全法（2025 年修正，2026 年 1 月 1 日施行，第二十三、六十一条；2016 年文本为第二十一、五十九条）. https://www.cac.gov.cn/2025-12/29/c_1768735112911946.htm
Open source linkDomains cannot be resolved at all without filing for servers located within China. Two scenarios commonly lead to trouble: first, registering a site as a personal non-commercial entity while actually charging fees; second, changing the domain name or entity without updating the filing. Retaining logs for 6 months is both a legal obligation and a protective measure — it can prove your innocence in case of incidents.