Chinese state media has revealed online smear campaigns, demonstrating how misinformation impacts automakers, commentators, and consumers. This exposure reflects increased regulatory scrutiny of online misconduct amid growing competition in China's automotive market.
According to a report by China Central Television (CCTV), malicious online activities in the new energy vehicle sector extend beyond inter-company disputes, including attacks on individual car owners. These online attacks occur across digital platforms and through offline interactions, illustrating the societal impact of organized misinformation campaigns.
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A new energy vehicle concentration area in Guangxi. Photo: Alamy
The investigation revealed that influential automotive commentators posted misinformation, harming company reputations. One prominent auto influencer, with hundreds of thousands of followers, was found by a court to have engaged in defamation and was ordered to issue a public apology and pay compensation. After being banned, some accounts reappeared under new identities to evade scrutiny.
Organized networks use AI tools to generate a large volume of negative content, distributed via fake accounts to quickly amplify rumors before vehicle launches or major industry events. Some content, presented as objective car reviews, misled consumers and contributed to public opinion distortion.
Some automotive influencers charged higher fees for posting negative promotional content compared to regular commercial posts.
Online conflicts also involved automakers, with some companies using social media channels to spread negative information about competitors, while industry executives sometimes engaged in public disputes affecting online discourse.
Previous reports by CarNewsChina noted multiple court rulings where automakers won defamation disputes involving online content creators. In 12/2025, courts ordered individuals to delete defamatory content, issue public apologies, and pay compensation totaling up to 2 million yuan (USD 283,000) in lawsuits involving BYD, Great Wall Motor, and Xpeng. In 1/2026, a court ruled that a blogger who posted false information about the fuel consumption of the Denza B5 SUV must compensate BYD 2,01 million yuan (USD 290,000).
Regulators have intensified law enforcement actions against online misconduct in the automotive sector. The Cyberspace Administration of China directly handled tens of thousands of business complaints and instructed platforms to remove a large volume of defamatory content, while thousands of accounts were restricted or closed.
The discovery of these online smear networks coincides with the rapid expansion of China's new energy vehicle market, where annual production and sales exceeded 16 million units in 2025, and this segment accounts for over half of domestic new car sales.
My Anh
