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A couple in southwestern China has been detained after creating fake "domestic violence" videos to attract viewers and boost their online sales. The authorities in Kunming, Yunnan province, placed the husband, surnamed Cai, and his wife, surnamed Li, under five-day administrative detention for fabricating videos that caused social harm, according to a report by The Paper.
Cai admitted to police that he became envious of other online celebrities who had made substantial profits through live-streaming. In an attempt to gain attention and followers, he and his wife staged self-directed short drama clips, one of which became highly viral. The video depicted Li as a victim of domestic violence, sobbing and pleading for food while being locked in a shabby room by her husband. Cai explained that he created these controversial clips to attract followers and increase their online presence.
The couple’s account on the popular short-video platform was shut down after the videos went viral. However, it remains unclear how many followers they had gained before the ban. The fake content caused significant backlash online, and the Ministry of Public Security soon prioritized cracking down on such online rumors, launching a national campaign to clean up the online environment.
As part of this crackdown, authorities have arrested over 1,500 people and resolved more than 10,000 cases of online false content in 2024. In a similar case in Liaoning province, four people were detained for faking videos about a sad family background to gain followers before selling products through live-streams.
The trend of fake content has raised concerns about the ethics of online influencers who use deceptive tactics for personal gain. One of the most prominent cases involved an online celebrity known as Thurman Maoyibei, who fabricated a story about finding textbooks in a public toilet in Paris. After the story gained traction, it was revealed to be completely false, and the influencer's account was permanently banned.
Source: SCMP
