Fake traffic app developer sentenced to five years in prison, fined US$15,000 amid China’s crackdown on inflated social media engagement

Before his popular fake traffic app Xinyuan was shut down, 26-year-old Cai Kunmiao made 6.3mil yuan in membership fees, according to a court document. The Chinese government is continuing a crackdown on fake online engagement, often used to boost celebrities’ social media accounts. — SCMP

A Chinese app developer was sentenced to five years in prison and given a 100,000-yuan (US$15,345) fine for managing an app that inflated the online popularity of some high-profile pop idols, the latest move in China to crack down on fake Internet traffic.

Cai Kunmiao, 26, was convicted of providing programs that intrude upon computer information systems, according to a court document released last week, detailing a ruling from the People’s Court of Fengtai District in Beijing on December 31. Cai was the developer of two fake traffic apps, Xinyuan and the lesser-known Yingyuanbao.