Weibo: China cracks down on celebrity online culture

Sina Weibo – the Chinese equivalent of Twitter – has removed an online celebrity website after state media criticised its cult of celebrities on social media. Meanwhile, one of the biggest pop stars, Kris Wu, has been arrested by police.

 

The state-owned People’s Daily newspaper criticised platforms that turn “undeserving people” into stars.  The paper did not name any companies, but the article was published as part of a broader crackdown on Chinese internet companies. Weibo said its decision was motivated by the “irrational behaviour” of the community towards celebrities by some fans.

The state-run Economic Information Daily attacked game companies earlier in the week, saying many teenagers had become addicted to online games. Shares in Tencent and NetEast fell more than 10% in the wake of the criticism.

The People’s Daily article argued that teenagers are hugely influenced by social media and often choose the celebrities they follow based on their popularity on online platforms. Weibo ranked stars based on the popularity of their social media posts and the number of followers.

Other platforms that allow fans to interact with celebrities include Bilibili, Kuashou and ByteDance-owned Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

One of China’s biggest celebrities, pop star Kris Wu, was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of rape, accused of luring young women to have sex with him. The singer denies all charges.

 

Source: BBC News

 

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