CCTV Uncovers Disinformation and Paid Smear Campaigns in China’s NEV Industry

In recent years, online black-market activity targeting China’s new energy vehicle industry has intensified.

CCTV’s flagship current affairs program Focus Interview recently aired a special investigative report exposing the industrial chain behind coordinated “black PR” campaigns and paid troll networks in the NEV sector, highlighting practices such as malicious defamation and fabricated vehicle reviews.

On fake reviews, the report cited an automotive blogger with around 600,000 followers who charges RMB 38,000 ($5,470) for a sponsored video longer than 60 seconds.

Industry insiders said that so-called “black deals” are typically priced even higher, with some influencers effectively promoting whichever party pays more.

The investigation found that tactics have escalated from online rumor-mongering to offline smear campaigns, from attacks on companies to mobilizing and manipulating vehicle owners.

The ecosystem of black PR agencies, paid troll farms and shadow self-media accounts in the NEV space has become increasingly distorted.

Some high-profile automotive influencers with hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers were found to have repeatedly targeted specific NEV brands over long periods, steering public opinion by leveraging their reach.

After having accounts suspended, some reappeared under new names or alternate accounts to evade regulation.

One case cited in the program was particularly telling. A new model from a NEV brand was officially launched on September 26, yet a wave of negative “test drive reviews” had already appeared online as early as September 2.

Industry observers believe such content was likely mass-produced by paid troll networks using AI-assisted rewriting tools, shaping public narratives before vehicles even reached the market.

China’s Cyberspace Administration also noted that some complaints revealed instances of automakers attacking one another by spreading negative information through self-media channels to discredit competitors.

Executives including Li Yunfei, General Manager of Brand and Public Relations at BYD Group, and Li Xiaoshuang, Vice President of Xiaomi Auto, appeared in the program.

Li Yunfei said black PR, paid trolls and malicious self-media accounts are only surface phenomena, often reflecting deeper commercial and interest-driven conflicts within the industry.

In response to illegal profiteering, exaggerated or false advertising, and malicious defamation in the automotive online space, China’s six government departments launched a joint crackdown in September last year, releasing three batches of typical violation cases.

Since the campaign began, authorities have directly handled more than 28,000 complaints from automakers, removed over 111,300 infringing or harmful online posts, and imposed bans or shutdowns on 3,612 accounts.