Faked Stories to Gain Fame Exposed
China's Public Security Punishes Even Minor Internet Rumors
A social media influencer in China was punished by authorities after posting a fabricated story to gain popularity. In China, individuals or companies spreading baseless rumors online can face 'administrative penalties' from the authorities.
On the 26th (local time), Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP) highlighted a 'fake video scandal' that occurred earlier this month on Douyin, China's popular short-form video streaming service. Previously, Ms. A, a popular female blogger in her 20s with about 18.8 million followers, claimed that she found a lost winter vacation assignment of a Chinese elementary school student in Paris, France.
Popular female blogger in her 20s, Ms. A, became famous after posting a video titled "In Paris, France, I found and completed the homework lost by a Chinese elementary school student." [Image source=Douyin capture]
The assignment Ms. A found contained personal information such as the grade and the student's name. Ms. A filmed a video solving the homework herself. She also said, "Zhinlang (the student's name), I will go to China right away and give you the homework. It's easy for me, so you don't need to thank me." After the video spread, an anonymous netizen claiming to be Zhinlang's uncle appeared, and interest within China surged rapidly.
Some netizens even searched for information to identify who the elementary student who lost the assignment in Paris was and where they lived. Ms. A's fame increased even more.
However, the authorities' investigation revealed that there was no record of a young student named Zhinlang leaving China during the winter vacation period. Interest in Ms. A quickly turned into suspicion, and eventually, Ms. A confessed along with her business partner Mr. B that they had fabricated the story to increase their online profile followers. It was revealed that they purchased an elementary school workbook from an online shopping mall in China and then flew to Paris pretending to have found it.
After the video manipulation was exposed, Mr. A posted an apology message and closed the account. [Image source=Douyin capture]
Ms. A reportedly posted an apology video on Douyin on the 12th (local time) and then closed her account. In her final video, she said, "I feel deep guilt and remorse, and I apologize to everyone," and bowed her head, asking "other colleagues in the internet broadcasting industry not to fabricate or spread fake content."
SCMP reported that Ms. A was a university student majoring in fashion design in Paris, France, who became an influencer after accidentally encountering internet broadcasting and gaining popularity.
Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Public Security is strictly punishing the dissemination of fabricated videos or texts online. Not only socially disruptive rumors but also minor internet rumors can be subject to 'administrative penalties.' According to data released by China's state-run media Global Times, since December until now, the Ministry of Public Security has investigated over 10,000 related cases nationwide and arrested 1,500 suspects. The number of individuals or legal entities receiving administrative sanctions has reached 10,700.
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