Insights from a Field Trip to the National Internet Detection Center

As a student of strategic communication, this semester has been full of fascinating insights into the world of advertising. On May 9th, our class had the opportunity to visit the National Internet Detection Center in Hangzhou. After a short 20-minute bus ride, we arrived at the center, where we were warmly welcomed and given a comprehensive tour of their facilities.

During the tour, we learned about how the center blends human intelligence with artificial intelligence in their smart detection process. Their team uses cutting-edge technologies such as OCR (Optical Character Recognition), semantic analysis, audio-video analysis, and live streaming monitoring to analyze vast amounts of digital content. The center checks over 300,000 ads per month, amounting to more than 100 million ads annually. Remarkably, they identify around 30,000 illegal advertisements each year. The primary focus of their work is to detect infringements, misleading pricing, quality issues, illegal promotions, and false advertising. They monitor ads across a variety of popular platforms like Xiaohongshu (Red), Douyin (TikTok), Taobao, and JD.com.

What stood out to me during the visit was how the center integrates AI and human oversight to maintain an effective and reliable monitoring system. After the tour, the staff gave us an in-depth look at their daily SOP and the sophisticated systems they use to manage such a large volume of content. It was impressive to see how they’ve structured their operations to stay efficient, especially with the challenges posed by the constantly changing digital advertising landscape.

Following the presentation, we had the chance to ask questions and engage with the staff in a Q&A session. This allowed us to explore how the center adapts to new trends and technologies while keeping advertising practices ethical and compliant with regulations. It was an enriching experience that gave me a broader perspective on the importance of regulation in digital advertising and the crucial role strategic communication plays in ensuring transparency and trustworthiness in this space.

Leaving the visit, I felt inspired by the center’s dedication to maintaining a fair advertising environment. It deepened my understanding of how AI, human expertise, and well-structured systems work together to shape the future of advertising, making me even more excited about my studies in advertising operation and management.