Xiaohongshu penalised by cyberspace authority over ‘trivial’ and 'negative' content

The Chinese cyberspace authority has summoned and penalised Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, over its “trivial” and “negative” content that allegedly "harms" the online ecosystem.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) (國家網信辦) said in a statement that Xiaohongshu failed to fulfill its responsibilities for managing information content, as its hot search list prominently featured several entries related to sensationalised personal updates and other undesirable information, which harmed the online ecosystem.

The authority has taken action against Xiaohongshu, issuing a regulatory talk and an order for rectification in accordance with the “Provisions on the Ecological Governance of Network Information Content” (網路資訊內容生態治理規定) and other relevant regulations.

“We will continue to focus on prominent issues related to violations that harm the online ecosystem, urging website platforms to fulfill their primary and social responsibilities and effectively maintain a clear and healthy online space,” the statement reads.

In response, Xiaohongshu said in a statement that it sincerely accepts the situation, learns deeply from the lessons, and is committed to implementing the necessary rectifications. To address the CAC's requirements, the platform promptly established a rectification task force aimed at promoting the ecological governance of the hot search list and enhancing its management capabilities.

“We will take this as a warning under the guidance of the cyberspace authorities, learn from it, and diligently fulfill our responsibilities for managing information content and our social responsibilities. Meanwhile, we will humbly accept supervision from our users and public opinion, and actively work to maintain a clear and healthy online space,” the statement reads.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Xiaohongshu for a statement.

Although the authorities did not identify the celebrity involved, some Weibo users speculate that the incident might concern Chinese actress Zhao Lusi. She has recently made frequent appearances on the hot search list on Xiaohongshu due to a dispute regarding the termination of her contract with her management company.

Zhao recently cancelled her Weibo account, which had over 30 million fans, and joined Xiaohongshu, where she frequently live-streams. According to HKET and Sing Tao Headline, she became the platform's first “mega-influencer” to surpass 20 million followers, breaking records with over 35 million views across four live streams and gaining nearly two million new followers.

Coincidentally, a number of mainland media outlets criticised in mid-August that Xiaohongshu was promoting content related to Zhao across the platform, claiming that the continuous pop-up notifications over several days severely disturbed users.

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