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Updated on 2023-12-04 GMT+08:00
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What Is an ICP Filing?

An Internet Content Provider (ICP) filing is a legal requirement in the Chinese mainland. All websites based in the Chinese mainland must complete an ICP filing.

In accordance with Measures for the Administration of Internet Information Services (Decree No.292) issued by the State Council and Measures for the Administration of Non-Commercial Internet Information Services (Decree No.33) issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the People's Republic of China mandates a licensing system for commercial Internet information service and a filing system for non-commercial Internet information services. Anyone who does not obtain an ICP file or license cannot provide non-commercial or commercial Internet information services. Generally, you must file for record before hosting your website, and the website can be accessed only after being recorded and given an ICP number from local communications administration.

When and Where Should I Apply for an ICP Filing?

If you have purchased cloud servers in the Chinese mainland, you need to apply for an ICP filing to the server provider. The ICP filing entity must be the same as the name used for real-name authentication using the domain name.

The details are as follows:

Table 1 ICP Filing Scenarios

(Cloud Server) Purchased In

ICP Filing Required

Example

Chinese mainland

Yes

If you have purchased a Huawei Cloud server in the CN North-Beijing4 region, you need to apply for an ICP filing in the Huawei Cloud ICP filing system.

NOTE:

If your domain name was registered outside the Chinese mainland, you need to transfer the domain name to the Chinese mainland before applying for an ICP filing.

Outside the Chinese mainland

No

If you have purchased Huawei Cloud servers in the CN-Hong Kong region, ICP filing is not required.

What Will Happen If I Do Not Have an ICP Filing?

All websites based in the Chinese mainland can be accessed only after an ICP number is obtained. Otherwise, the websites will be blocked.

  • If you do not have an ICP filing, you need to resolve your domain name to a Huawei Cloud server that is deployed in the Chinese mainland. Specifically, you can log in to the Huawei Cloud (Chinese mainland) ICP filing system, and submit the website and domain information for an ICP filing.
  • If you have an ICP number from another server provider, you need to resolve the domain name to a Huawei Cloud server that is deployed in the Chinese mainland. In this case, you can log in to the Huawei Cloud ICP filing system to add Huawei Cloud to the ICP filing information as a service provider.