China’s online influencers under scrutiny after fake story sparks public outrage

Top influencer Xu Jiayi faked a story about finding a boy’s missing homework in Paris. - PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM BILI BILI via The Straits Times/ANN

BEIJING (The Straits Times/ANN): The attention-grabbing antics of Chinese online influencers are in the authorities’ cross hairs, after a content creator faked a story about finding a boy’s missing homework in Paris.

The Cyberspace Administration, China’s internet regulator, on April 23 announced a two-month crackdown on social media personalities who publish false stories to deceive the public and boost their online traffic.