BYD (along with other Chinese brands) are rolling out the red carpet for journalists and influencers to get positive reporting, and they sue anyone over ‘defamation’.

Currently, BYD sued 37 influencers and put another 126 on a watch list for disseminating what it deems as damaging content.

Defamation in China […] can be prosecuted as a criminal offense. Badmouthing major companies, which are usually state-owned affairs or deeply linked to the Communist Party, can quickly land you in serious trouble. That’s true especially if you have a big audience and even if there’s truth to the negative claims. If a Chinese company proves in court that certain comments affected its image and reputation, that may be enough for legal action against an influencer […] In other words, negative comments about BYD, regardless of whether they have substance or not, could be a career-ending event for an influencer, and the potential massive reparations demanded by some companies could also bring them to financial ruin […]