Core Viewpoint - The Ministry of Civil Affairs has released ten new and revised industry standards in the funeral sector, addressing public concerns and promoting green funeral practices [1][2]. Group 1: Industry Standards - The new standards cover various aspects of funeral services, including reception, ash storage, burial, sea burial, cemetery rituals, and online memorial services [1]. - The standards aim to enhance service quality, meet diverse public needs, and promote the development of green funerals [1][2]. Group 2: Transparency and Consumer Rights - The standards require that service items and pricing for body preservation, cremation, ash storage, and sea burial be publicly disclosed, ensuring transparency and consumer rights [2]. - Funeral service providers must issue detailed invoices and receipts to enhance trust in the industry [2]. Group 3: Green Funeral Practices - The Ministry of Civil Affairs reported a significant increase in eco-friendly burials, with 194,700 cases of ecological burial in 2024, a 67% increase from 2019, including 53,500 sea burials, a 26% increase [3]. - Revised sea burial standards emphasize the importance of environmental protection, including the proper disposal of non-biodegradable materials used during the ceremony [3]. Group 4: Online Memorial Services - In 2024, over 120 million people participated in online memorial services across more than 2,000 platforms, marking a 37% increase from the previous year [4]. - New regulations for online memorial services aim to prevent commercialization and ensure respectful practices [5]. Group 5: Rituals and Services - The standards introduce new service categories, such as proxy memorial services and collective memorials, to cater to diverse expressions of grief [6]. - The Ministry of Civil Affairs plans to enhance training and implementation of these standards to improve service levels in the funeral industry [6].

Core Viewpoint - The rise of online memorial services and AI resurrection technologies has led to ethical concerns and potential violations of personal rights, as these services often exploit personal information for commercial gain [1][2][3] Group 1: Online Memorial Services - Numerous incidents related to online memorials have gained attention, including a case where a living person was memorialized over 43,000 times due to a platform's failure to verify the authenticity of deceased information [1] - The commercialization of online memorials has transformed solemn remembrance into a profit-driven spectacle, with platforms creating "incense rankings" that link monetary contributions to the remembrance of the deceased [1][2] Group 2: AI Resurrection Technologies - AI resurrection involves using digital technologies to create virtual representations of deceased individuals, raising concerns about personal information leakage and the ethical implications of such practices [2][3] - The commercialization of AI resurrection has led to a range of products available on e-commerce platforms, with prices varying from hundreds to thousands of yuan, indicating a shift from individual cases to broader market applications [2] Group 3: Ethical and Legal Concerns - The lack of clear legal frameworks regarding the ownership of data rights for digitally created personas presents significant challenges, especially as platforms may lower standards to maximize profits [3] - There is a pressing need for platforms to enhance user information verification processes and for regulatory bodies to address illegal activities related to personal information exploitation [2][3]

Core Viewpoint - The rise of online memorial services has led to various issues, including the unauthorized commemoration of living individuals and the commercialization of these services, raising significant social concerns [2][3]. Group 1: Issues with Online Memorial Services - A case in Xiamen revealed that a living girl was commemorated over 43,000 times due to a platform's failure to verify the authenticity of deceased information, highlighting severe flaws in user information verification [2]. - The exposure of personal information on these platforms infringes on individuals' rights and disrupts their daily lives, challenging social norms and legal rights [2]. - The commercialization of online memorial services, such as "incense ranking" systems, misleads users into spending money on virtual offerings that are overpriced, undermining the solemnity of memorial practices [3]. Group 2: Regulatory and Industry Response - The Ministry of Civil Affairs is drafting industry standards for online memorial services, which will require healthy content, prohibit superstitious virtual offerings, and mandate real-name verification to curb these issues [4]. - To effectively address the problems, platforms must enhance their responsibility by improving user information verification and establishing robust content management systems [4]. - Regulatory bodies need to intensify enforcement and supervision of online memorial platforms to combat infringement and fraud, creating a strong deterrent against violations [4].

Core Viewpoint - The rise of online memorial services has transformed traditional Qingming Festival practices, allowing people to commemorate their loved ones virtually through various digital platforms, although this trend raises concerns about pricing and the potential for misuse of personal information [1][21][27]. Group 1: Online Memorial Services - Online memorial services enable users to create virtual memorials for deceased individuals through websites, apps, and social media platforms, allowing for the expression of remembrance anytime and anywhere [1][7]. - The creation of memorials is often free, but users must purchase virtual offerings, which can be expensive, with various pricing structures for different services [11][14][18]. - Platforms like "彼岸思念" and "云寄念" allow users to create memorials without verification of the deceased's information, leading to potential misuse and the creation of memorials for living individuals [11][21]. Group 2: Legal and Ethical Concerns - There have been instances where living individuals have had memorials created in their names without consent, leading to legal disputes over personal rights and privacy [21][26]. - Legal experts emphasize the need for stricter verification processes for online memorial services to prevent the violation of personal rights and ensure compliance with laws such as the Civil Code and the Personal Information Protection Law [27][28]. - The Ministry of Civil Affairs is drafting new industry standards for online memorial services, which aim to regulate the sector and ensure that platforms verify user identities and memorial information [27][28].