China’s Cyberspace Administration, the national internet regulator, has initiated a crackdown on influencers displaying wealth on social media. This move aims to curb the trend of influencers flaunting their riches to attract followers and compete on who appears more prosperous. According to the authority, this behavior has led to instances where influencers engage in fraudulent activities to meet their ‘wealth targets’ and then boast about them online.
“Ordinary Chinese see all this online content that’s so disconnected from reality and people who seem so happy and wealthy; it creates a pretty warped psychology,” said a representative leading the crackdown. The representative further explained that this phenomenon often distorts the mindset of individuals who are genuinely working hard to achieve such wealth.
As a result of the crackdown, prominent Chinese influencers with over 2 million followers each have lost their social media accounts. Their actions were deemed as “going against community guidelines” under the new directive, which prohibits public figures from “displaying or hyping a large number of luxury goods, jewellery, cash, and other assets.”
The trend of flaunting wealth is so widespread in China that during the COVID pandemic, Chinese influencers initiated the ‘Show Your Wealth’ challenge on TikTok. The challenge, which went viral within hours, involved influencers posing beside their luxurious vehicles with various opulent items spread around them.
The new regulations are part of a broader effort to promote a more realistic and responsible use of social media, aiming to protect ordinary citizens from unrealistic and potentially harmful portrayals of wealth.
