China’s cyberspace watchdog recently announced that it will set up governance rules and systems for algorithms in the next three years or so, together with other Chinese-state bodies. The new policy is set to influence user choice, as the regulator said algorithms—which the internet and online search runs on— should strictly align with the interest of the ruling Party and national security initiatives, according to a Sept. 29 statement published by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Chinese social media platform, WeChat. Tightened algorithms developed by technology firms aim to “uphold core values of socialism” and to crack down on anything the regulator deems a violation. “The application of algorithms should adhere to the correct political direction, public opinion guidance, and value orientation,” the statement said. According to internal government documents previously obtained by The Epoch Times, in 2017, Chinese leader Xi Jinping articulated a vision of “using technology to rule the internet” to achieve total …