NIO Reports Progress in Legal Actions, Three Accounts Suspended

The social-media account that previously circulated false claims about Nio’s capital-market activities have now been sanctioned under court rulings.

NIO’s legal department said on Oct. 17 that three online accounts have been suspended for allegedly spreading misinformation, malicious attacks, and rumors about the company.

The accounts — “西瓜犁多南”, “路边消息社” and “森哥电车” — were removed by their respective platforms after long-term dissemination of false information or defamatory content, the company said.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and five other government agencies recently launched a special campaign to tackle online misconduct in the auto industry.

Major targets include defamatory attacks on automakers and products, damage to corporate or brand reputation, and the use of generative AI to produce fabricated content.

According to NIO, the account holder of “西瓜犁多南”, surnamed He, has repeatedly posted large volumes of false information on Weibo and other platforms since 2024, maliciously attacking and defaming NIO and its users, seriously violating the legitimate rights of the company and its customers.

A local court has issued a first-instance ruling finding the behavior constituted infringement and disrupted a healthy online environment. The defendant was ordered to immediately cease the infringement, issue a public apology to NIO, and compensate the company for economic losses.

The WeChat public account “路边消息社” previously spread false rumors relating to NIO’s capital-markets activities, which triggered widespread reposts and public misinformation.

After NIO filed a police report, authorities quickly identified the account holder, who has since been penalized in accordance with law.

Meanwhile, the Douyin account “森哥电车” had insulted and defamed NIO and its users since April 2023 and refused to correct its behavior even after losing a civil case. The account has now been banned.

NIO noted that these cases are not isolated. As competition intensifies in the NEV sector, public disputes among brands have become more frequent. Regulators have repeatedly stressed the need to tackle online misinformation this year, placing the auto industry on a key enforcement list.

A recently issued enforcement plan highlighted actions against malicious attacks and the dissemination of false online content, calling for multi-agency coordination to maintain market order.

NIO said it will continue cooperating with regulators and judicial authorities to combat rumor-spreading and rights violations, safeguarding the interests of the company and its users.