Dozens of KOLs specializing in flexing luxury life in China have been banned.

Famous KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) who flaunt their wealth on Chinese social media have had their accounts banned - Photo: Sina

To date, dozens of Chinese KOLs have had their accounts banned for "violating community guidelines," including many influential figures with millions of followers.

They share one common characteristic: they frequently go online to showcase their lavish lifestyles, flaunting their wealth with expensive designer goods.

This move comes amid a surge in content promoting the worship of money in China.

The "flexing" trend of luxurious living in China.

Chinese media have described this materialistic content as a "toxic influence."

According to SCMP , in recent years, a number of traditional celebrities have violated laws and regulations in China and have been "blacklisted," banned from broadcasting for extended periods.

Among them are the famous actress Fan Bingbing, who was embroiled in a tax evasion scandal in 2018, and the actor Wu Yifan, who was imprisoned for rape in 2022.

But perhaps the "cleansing" of the internet is no longer limited to influential celebrities.

Now, even online celebrities and KOLs are being targeted for inappropriate content that promotes bad habits.

The crackdown on ostentatious influencers has sparked heated debate on the country's social media. The three most talked-about figures are Wang Hongquanxing, Bo Gongzi, and Baoyu Jiajie.

Wang Hongquanxing often shows off his expensive possessions online - Photo: Weibo

The most prominent figure in this trend of showing off wealth is Wang Hongquanxing, nicknamed "the Kim Kardashian of China." He claims to own numerous high-end properties in Beijing with a total value of up to $110 million.

Wang Hongquanxing shared with fans that he never goes out wearing cheap clothes; his outfits and accessories are considered high-quality if they cost at least 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million).

Because of his lavish and extravagant lifestyle, he gained 4.4 million followers on Douyin, but now even that account with millions of followers has been deleted.

Bo Gongzi is obsessed with designer brands, acts arrogant online, and often talks about her wealthy boyfriend - Photo: Sina

Another figure is Bo Gongzi, known by his nickname "Young Master Bo," a "Hermes bag collector" with 3 million followers on Douyin.

This guy often talks about his wealthy boyfriend, showing off expensive gifts that cost "the equivalent of an average person's annual salary," such as a Porsche car, a Vacheron Constantin watch, etc.

Having successfully cultivated the image of a "CEO" boyfriend, Bo Gongzi has won over viewers with his lavish videos that garner millions of views.

Like the two KOLs mentioned above, "Abalone Sister" also actively posts videos about her expensive and nutritious foods - Photo: Weibo

Also on the list of prominent KOLs in the trend of showing off wealth, an elderly woman named Baoyu Jiajie frequently shares videos of her villa in Macau, spanning over 3,300 square meters, and her luxurious jewelry worth millions of dollars.

Furthermore, what makes Baoyu Jiajie particularly attractive is her frequent consumption of expensive and nutritious foods, especially dried abalone costing 25,000 yuan (US$3,500) per piece. Her frequent use of them as afternoon snacks has earned her the nickname "Abalone Sister."

Clean up harmful content.

These seemingly harmless contents are considered "a type of behavior that creates a highly distorted illusion, spreading unhealthy values ​​through the pursuit of wealth."

According to Weibo , they have "cleaned up" more than 1,110 posts flaunting wealth and banned or suspended more than 27 accounts, depending on the severity of the violation.

The platform also encourages users to create honest and valuable content.

Many social media platforms in China are taking measures to block harmful content and trends - Photo: VCG

However, this also received a lot of mixed opinions from the Chinese online community, with some arguing that banning accounts is unnecessary because those videos are meant for entertainment.

"Thanks to them, I learned more about good things to try to earn money from," "Perception is subjective; those who don't like it can ignore it, why ban them?", "Many videos are for entertainment purposes, is it really necessary to be so strict?"...

Currently, Chinese social media platforms such as Tencent, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Weibo are actively reviewing and eliminating ostentatious content and content containing negative messages.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hang-chuc-kol-chuyen-flexing-cuoc-song-xa-xi-o-trung-quoc-da-bi-phong-sat-2024053101163905.htm