Chinese authorities have taken action against a prominent influencer who fabricated a viral story about a boy and his missing homework books. Thurman Maoyibei’s accounts on popular Chinese platforms such as TikTok Douyin, Weibo, and BiliBili disappeared over the weekend, following police intervention.
Authorities revealed that Thurman Maoyibei, whose real surname is Xu, and her colleague, surnamed Xue, produced a series of fake videos and distributed them across various platforms starting on February 16th. The fabricated story involved Xu claiming to have received two empty homework books from a Paris coffee shop during her Lunar New Year holiday, purportedly belonging to a Grade 1 student named Qin Lang, whom she vowed to return the books to in China.
The story gained immense traction, triggering a nationwide search for the fictional boy and generating millions of views on platforms like Douyin and Weibo. Despite even state-affiliated media reporting on the matter, investigations revealed that the boy did not exist, and Xu and her colleague had purchased the books themselves for the purpose of creating the viral video.
Hangzhou police received complaints regarding Xu’s videos and initiated an investigation, leading to the revelation of the fabrication. China’s Ministry of Public Security categorized this case as a significant instance in their efforts to combat online rumors, which have seen over 1,500 arrests and more than 10,700 instances of administrative punishment related to online falsehoods since December.
Xu publicly apologized for her actions, acknowledging her failure to recognize her social responsibilities and vowing to refrain from creating or spreading false content in the future. While some supported the closure of her accounts, others questioned whether the punishment was too severe for what they perceived as a “harmless joke.” Nevertheless, Xu’s case underscores the Chinese government’s increasing scrutiny of online content, not limited to political dissent but also extending to non-political misinformation.
