Authorities in China have cracked down on social media posts by citizens who flaunt their wealth, according to a report by NBC (and other outlets), which said online “influencers” known for displaying luxurious lifestyles have disappeared from the internet in recent days amid a clampdown on “conspicuous displays of wealth”.
Videos posted on Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok – by Wang Hongquan, a young man who had claimed he owned seven properties in Beijing, plus expensive sports cars and outfits worth more than 10 million yuan ($1.38 million), were no long accessible to his 4.3 million followers, the report said, and searches for his page and other influencers with similar content brought up an error note that said such pages were blocked “due to violations of Douyin’s community guidelines.”
This followed a warning by China’s cyber regulator last month saying it would launch a campaign against people who “create a ‘wealth-flaunting’ persona” in order to attract followers, the report said, noting that China is undergoing an economic slowdown that has hit the middle class hard and many young people are struggling to find work.
Read the full report: NBC News.
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