Criminal Regulation of Online “Cloud Farming Economy” Activities

Hanbing Gao

doi:10.54254/2753-7048/2025.LD29236

Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public MediaOpen access

Criminal Regulation of Online “Cloud Farming Economy” Activities

Research Article

Open Access

Criminal Regulation of Online “Cloud Farming Economy” Activities

Hanbing Gao ^1*

¹ Macau University of Science and Technology

^*Corresponding author: 1220017759@student.must.edu.mo

Published on 5 November 2025

LNEP Vol.115

ISSN (Print): 2753-7056

ISSN (Online): 2753-7048

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-513-4

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-514-1

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Abstract

“Cloud farming” is an emerging online farming model where owners remotely participate in raising animals or plants without direct contact. The commercialized “cloud farming economy” represents an innovative development of traditional agriculture leveraging internet technology, characterized by strong online attributes. This paper will conduct an in-depth study on the criminal regulation of online “cloud farming economy” activities. In recent years, many criminals have exploited the guise of agricultural innovation, breeding numerous crimes within the “cloud farming economy” sector. These activities exhibit characteristics such as conceptual hype and deviation from the inherent nature of the agricultural industry, involving issues related to illegal fundraising crimes. Challenges include disputes over factual determinations, debates over the legal characterization between the crimes of illegal absorption of public deposits and fundraising fraud, and complexities in identifying participants' legal statuses. To refine the criminal regulatory framework for online “cloud farming economy” activities, a criminal policy of “strict prevention, strict control, and strict suppression.” should be advocated. This involves enhancing the criminal classification system at the legislative level, strengthening regulations against behavioral patterns such as “promising high returns without genuine business support,” and promoting cross-departmental collaborative governance. Moving forward, further refinement of adjudication standards based on judicial practice is needed to enhance the effectiveness of criminal regulation in this domain.

Keywords:

Economic crime, Property crimes, Crime of fund-raising fraud, Crime of illegally absorbing public deposits

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References

[1]. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, National Financial Regulatory Administration, Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China, State Administration for Market Regulation. (2025) Enhancing Fraud Risk Prevention and Management in the “Cloud Farming Economy”. Yunnan Agriculture 39(06), 9-10

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[8]. Lan Xueyou. (2021) Systematic Distinction between the Crime of Fraud in Fund Raising and the Crime of Illegally Absorbing Public Deposits: Two Types of Trust Based on Financial System. Journal of Southwest University of Political Science & Law 23(05), 112-128.

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References

[2]. Procuratorial Daily Jcrb.com, https: //news.jcrb.com/jsxw/2025/202507/t20250729_7065713.html, last accessed 2025/10/07.

[3]. The ‌Supreme People's Procuratorate of the People's Republic of China‌, https: //www.spp.gov.cn/zdgz/202507/t20250718_701643.shtml, last accessed 2025/10/07.

[4]. Suhu.com, https: //www.sohu.com/a/909927629_122435066, last accessed 2025/10/07.

[6]. Wang Xin. (2021) Criminal Legal Risk Boundaries of Private Financing. Contemporary Law Review 35(01), 9-10.

[10]. Wang Xiao. (2025) The Determination of Responsibility of Each Co-offender in the Joint Crime of Online Pyramid Schemes. Journal of Political Science and Law (04), 170-184.

Cite this article

Gao,H. (2025). Criminal Regulation of Online “Cloud Farming Economy” Activities. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,115,27-32.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICILLP 2025 Symposium: Property Law and Blockchain Applications in International Law and Legal Policy

ISBN: 978-1-80590-513-4(Print) / 978-1-80590-514-1(Online)

Editor: Renuka Thakore

Conference website: https://2025.icillp.org/London.html

Conference date: 21 November 2025

Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media

Volume number: Vol.115

ISSN: 2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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