(Yicai Global) Nov. 30 -- Beijing Bytedance Technology's Toutiao app has been fined overCNY3 million (USD432,071) after publishing medical advertisements without obtaining an Examination Certificate for Medical Advertisements that violated the provisions of Article 46 of the Advertising Law.

Toutiao published several advertisements from June 2016, including ads for dental implants and oral CT for Beijing Jingyi TCM Hospital, ophthalmic laser ads for Harbin Jiaoshi Eye Hospital and dentures for elderly at Beijing Megranta Dental Hospital, according to the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce's Haidian Branch.

Nine medical and beauty institutions were hauled up for illegal advertisement. Toutiao was ordered to stop publishing the illegal ads, CNY235,971.6 in revenue earned from advertising fee confiscated, and fined CNY707,914.8.

The punishments were decided on March 30 this year.

Toutiao was also fined CNY3 million for publishing illegal ads about Tongrentang's dietary supplement and non-prescription drug on Nov. 19, the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System shows.

The Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising stipulates that no advertisements of medical services, drugs, dietary supplements and other special goods or services will be published unless it is subject to examination and approved by the advertisement examination authority.

The information quality, especially that of advertisements in the form of news feed, has deteriorated with easy profits, Song Jianbin, a professor at the School of Journalism and Communication in Renmin University of China, told Yicai Global.

Editor: Bivash Mukherjee