Authorities bust three extortion cases targeting film industry
Chinese authorities have uncovered three cases where criminal groups extorted film industry players by fabricating and threatening to release negative information. A total of 24 suspects have been arrested.
China's Ministry of Public Security announced the resolution of three cases involving criminal groups extorting entities within the film industry. A total of 24 suspects were apprehended for allegedly using social media and manufacturing negative publicity to coerce film companies and stars into paying for services.
The schemes involved spreading disinformation, threatening to release damaging content, and offering so-called "protection services" where the criminals would remove the negative information they created for a fee. One case in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, saw a group establish a media company and utilize its large follower base across multiple accounts to disseminate fabricated or exaggerated negative information about popular films and celebrities. The objective was to force victims into purchasing these "protection services."
Another case in Fuzhou, Fujian, involved two individuals who collected and manipulated "negative information" about new dramas and stars. They controlled several popular platform accounts to create and spread false content, often timed with film releases or artist appearances. Film production teams and artist management, concerned about reputational damage and commercial losses, contacted the suspects, who then deleted the offending posts upon payment.
A third case in Heyuan, Guangdong, exposed an MCN agency that leveraged multiple large social media accounts and AI tools to generate negative buzz during film and series releases. They marketed "protection services" that included publishing positive promotional content and removing prior negative posts. Essentially, this constituted a form of forced transaction, where the creation of negative sentiment was used to demand payment for its removal or prevention.
These operations are reported to have severely disrupted the healthy ecosystem of the entertainment industry, damaged the online public opinion environment, and infringed upon the legal rights of film producers and artists. Investigations are ongoing in all three cases.