China jails blogger for 20 months over fake Xiaomi EV video

A Chinese blogger has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for fabricating negative claims about the safety of Xiaomi's SU7 electric sedan.

As per state media, the sentence aligns with a broader, stepped-up effort by Chinese authorities to crack down on online misinformation, false advertising, and irregular practices targeting domestic businesses and high-profile industries.

Bloggers and online platforms accused of smearing automakers or spreading misleading information have also been targeted.

As reported by the Beijing Daily, the blogger, identified as Gao, was fined 100,000 yuan ($14,800) after he was found guilty by the Haidian District People's Court of damaging the reputation of goods by fabricating false facts and intentionally harming the reputation of car maker Xiaomi.

The decision highlights August 2024 issue when Gao and his team released a crash-test video appearing to show that the doors of Xiaomi's best-selling SU7 failed to open after a collision.

The video ‌also appeared to show that the vehicle's emergency call system did not activate and its central control screen failed to light up, according to Chinese media reports.

The clip, posted on Gao's video-sharing account with about 1 million followers, went viral, drawing roughly 3 million views.

The court found that Gao and his team had covertly tampered with the vehicle's auxiliary battery before filming and used footage of a battery damaged by a forklift to mislead viewers, the Beijing Daily report said.

In January 2025, Xiaomi said that "a blogger and his accomplices who previously maliciously smeared Xiaomi Auto have been arrested according to law".

Since last year, ‌authorities have stepped up efforts to curb false advertising, online misinformation and other irregular practices in the fiercely competitive auto industry amid concerns that misleading claims could distort consumer perceptions and competition.