BYD Company Declares War on Defamation: 37 Bloggers in Court

Chinese automotive company BYD has taken decisive steps to protect its business reputation. On June 4, the company officially announced the filing of lawsuits against 37 internet influencers accused of spreading false information. Another 126 accounts are under special monitoring for potentially harmful content.

Li Yunfei, BYD's General Manager of Branding and PR, stated: «We are open to constructive criticism, but we will strongly suppress targeted defamation».

All contentious publications have been recorded as evidence for legal proceedings.

BYD Offers Rewards for Information

The company has confirmed the enactment of a special incentive program:

• Rewards range from 50,000 yuan (≈ $7,000) to 5,000,000 yuan (≈ $700,000).
• Payments for confirmed facts of knowingly disseminating false information.
• A special channel has been created to receive reports of fake news.

Actual Legal Precedents

BYD cited specific examples of won cases:

• Blogger «Zhou Haoran Sean» fined 100,000 yuan (≈ $14,000) for false accusations.
• Car reviewer «AutoBiBiBi» to pay 100,000 yuan in compensation.
• Channels «Taodianchi» and «Yin Ge Jiang Dianche» found guilty of unfair competition (fine 60,000 yuan ≈ $8,500).

Ongoing Legal Proceedings

Several high-profile cases are under consideration:

• Author «Samo XXX» - for spreading fakes about the company's financial condition.
• Blogger «Grape碎XXX» - arrested for false statements about technical issues.
• Influencer «Hoax» - under investigation for systematic defamation.

At the time of publication, none of the accused have provided public comments. BYD emphasizes its intention to use all legal means of protection, including continuing lawsuits and expanding the rewards program.

Expert opinion from auto30: BYD's tough stance raises important questions: where is the line between protecting business reputation and putting pressure on freedom of expression? Should similar measures be expected from other major corporations?