On September 11, the first instance trial for the influencer Tietou's extortion case concluded, with him being sentenced to eight years in prison for multiple crimes. After the verdict was announced, comment sections on social media platforms showed polarized opinions, sparking public discussion on the boundaries and social roles of online anti-fraud activities.
Around September 12, 2026, Tietou and his team members shouted "We are innocent" in court. Supporters believe their actions challenged the authorities rather than constituting extortion, while some self-media outlets accused them of extortion.
The influencer "Tietou" (Dong Guangming) was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Binjiang Court in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, for organizing a team to expose social darkness, including scams involving elderly health products and shortchanging at seafood markets. His team members were also sentenced. The official reason given was "extortion," but the video argues this is a fabricated charge aimed at suppressing those who reveal the truth.
On June 1, 2024, internet celebrity Tietou, who was banned from all platforms for exposing his solicitation of prostitutes, went to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan. He urinated on a stone pillar and spray-painted the English word 'toilet' in red paint, subsequently releasing the video online and attracting attention.
According to the program, as the Chinese Communist Party takes a hardline diplomatic line, the overseas actions of influencers represented by Tietou and the Little Pinks have escalated in step with it.