Weibo Mutes Auto Influencers for 90 Days, Imposes 180-Day Ad Bans as CEO Defends Process

Overview

• Weibo’s community management announced a special action ordering multiple automotive KOL accounts to be muted for 90 days and barred from advertising revenue for 180 days.
• The platform said the enforcement targets behaviors such as smearing companies, spreading false corporate information, aggregating negative content, and inciting attacks.
• Citing the Cyberspace Administration’s campaign to optimize the online business environment, Weibo stated the measures were taken with supervisory oversight.
• To address questions about the basis for penalties, Weibo published six example cases naming specific accounts and quoting alleged violations.
• CEO Wang Gaofei said the bans followed multi-step procedures including evidence collection, complaints, responses, and review, while emphasizing support for reasonable criticism over deliberate fabrication.