Rumors · Full chronicle and history

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs made public remarks, pointing out that the current efforts to counter the propaganda Russia spreads everywhere are insufficient, and warning that modern social media combined with new artificial intelligence technology are easily influencing people's minds. He also mentioned that Ukraine attacked three Yandex centers, which drew attention and discussion on social media.

Starting October 1, multiple media outlets including Sina Technology, Tencent News, Gamersky, and Kuai Technology reported that “CC Who Collects Phones” was smeared with a pornographic rumor and called the police. The reports said her video “Smeared With a Pornographic Rumor for 2 Months, I Called the Police” surpassed 3.21 million views and received 14,000 comments. According to the video she posted, the company’s legal department has assisted in collecting evidence.

On September 25, the Huangpu Branch of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau reported that a hospital had filed a report regarding rumors circulating online about an academician at the institution. Liu fabricated information claiming the academician had stolen others' research results and spread it across more than 50 groups, while Zhang used AI software to generate and publish a fake video. Both individuals have been criminally detained.

A screenshot circulating online purporting to show Anna Yao, daughter of Ren Zhengfei, threatening netizens on Xiaohongshu has sparked heated debate. After comparing details such as the author tag color scheme, account name format, and IP location changes, it was judged to be highly likely a photoshopped forgery. Huawei has issued no official response.

According to a post by the X account "Orange," a netizen submitted that Ren Zhengfei's youngest daughter Yao Anna was found threatening in Weibo comment sections, "One phone call from me and I can have your whole family killed, whether it's the police or the underworld," sparking discussion among netizens.

On September 16, 2026, someone online fabricated chat records to spread rumors about mainland Chinese actor Wang Hedi, and a blogger created a related topic entry to spread them further; Wang Hedi's studio completed notarization of the evidence that same day, reported the case to Beijing police, and issued a statement saying it would pursue legal responsibility in accordance with the law against those who fabricated and spread the rumors.

Kunming police stated that Du某 fabricated false internship information to gain traffic and was administratively detained, while netizens questioned the discrepancies between the report and the merchant's account.

Rumors online claim that Ren Zhengfei and Meng Wanzhou fled the country by sea. The news has been out for six or seven days, yet neither Ren Zhengfei nor Meng Wanzhou has appeared in public, and Huawei has not issued a denial, sparking speculation outside the company.

In mid-September, during Xi Jinping's visit to India, overseas Chinese social media platforms were flooded with claims that Ren Zhengfei, Meng Wanzhou, and more than ten other family members had gone missing and might have fled to a small island overseas via Shenzhen's Dapeng Peninsula. Screenshots purporting to be internal Huawei conversations and videos allegedly showing armed police surrounding Huawei's Shenzhen headquarters also circulated. Huawei has not responded publicly.

Reports online claim that Yao Anna, daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, threatened a netizen while replying on Xiaohongshu, saying that a single phone call could kill their entire family, sparking public outrage. Some netizens suspect that her account has been taken over by state security personnel.

Rumors circulate that Yao Anna posted saying the screenshot of threatening comments attributed to her was maliciously photoshopped and absolutely not posted by her herself; at the same time, a large number of accounts claimed that the screenshot's IP location did not match her actual location, proving it was photoshopped, with debunking and counter-debunking tearing at each other online.

A topic appeared on Baidu Hot Search: "Rumors circulating online that COVID in August is very serious and that there is a variant strain are false."

On August 23, 2026, Shanghai's Huangpu police announced the investigation and handling of an online corporate rumor case. A netizen surnamed Mo was placed under administrative detention by police for fabricating and publishing a false post on an investment platform claiming that Xiaohongshu's IPO had failed.

Around August 20, rumors circulated online that Ctrip's Liang Jianzhang had fled, which were likewise linked to the new entry-exit regulations taking effect on September 15, but the matter eventually fizzled out.

On August 16, 2026, the Laoshan police in Qingdao, Shandong, reported that a man was administratively detained in accordance with the law for using AI to generate a fake Qingdao University emblem resembling the Rising Sun Flag and spreading rumors that the university had urgently taken it down, all to attract traffic.

"CC Who Collects Phones" (the mysterious woman in glasses), a Zhuanzhuan second-hand platform employee who became an internet celebrity through an ad, was hit by a fabricated sex rumor. She reported the case to the police to defend her rights but did not receive widespread sympathy from public opinion. The incident sparked discussion about the rights and obligations of influencer employees and their companies, as well as how public relations should be handled.

On July 23, 2026, the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly issued a notice, deploying a special campaign to rectify illegal and harmful information related to disaster incidents during the flood season, severely cracking down on online speech concerning disasters. On the same day, the Ministry of Public Security publicized 20 typical cases of disaster-related rumors.

On July 13, the Cyberspace Administration Bureau of China's Ministry of Public Security announced 25 typical cases of illegal and criminal activities involving online rumors related to floods and disasters. Among them, 4 people were criminally detained, and 23 people received administrative penalties.

On July 13, 2026, the Cybersecurity Bureau of China's Ministry of Public Security reported 25 cases of online speech violations and crimes related to floods and disasters, in which 4 people were criminally detained and 23 people were given administrative penalties, strengthening control over disaster-related public opinion.

On June 29, 2026, in response to the online rumor that "CITIC executive Liu Junhua flew a plane into Beijing's CITIC Tower," CITIC urgently released a business interview video of Liu Junhua of CITIC Wealth Management to clear up the false reports.

AITO has filed a report with the public security authorities over relevant online remarks, saying that those spreading rumors may bear criminal liability.

On August 4, China's Cyberspace Administration announced the investigation and handling of a batch of so-called accounts that maliciously bad-mouthed companies, and HarmonyOS Smart Life (Hongmeng Zhixing) subsequently issued a statement in response to the relevant complaints.

The Luxeed Legal Department issued a statement calling on the public not to believe or spread rumors and to jointly maintain a clean and clear online environment.

An AITO M9 in Wenling, Zhejiang caught fire from its undercarriage, and AITO user services responded by saying not to believe or spread rumors.

On January 1, 2020, the Wuhan Public Security Bureau issued a notice stating that 8 people who had spread rumors were being investigated and punished according to law. The notice was broadcast on CCTV, and Li Wenliang's epidemic warning was among them.

In 2016, Xi Jinping made clear at the symposium on the Party's news and public opinion work that media sponsored by the Party and the government must bear the Party's name, that media work must embody the Party's will and reflect the Party's positions, and he emphasized giving priority to positive publicity.

On the evening of October 16, 2010, a drunk-driving hit-and-run occurred at the new campus of Hebei University, leaving two female students, one dead and one injured. After the driver, Li Qiming, was caught, he shouted “My dad is Li Gang,” causing an uproar in public opinion.