Man detained and fined for spreading false rumors about CATL's Yibin base
A Chinese man has been detained and fined for fabricating and spreading rumors concerning an incident at CATL's Yibin base, falsely claiming employees were prevented from using restrooms.
Chinese authorities have detained and fined an individual for spreading fabricated rumors about an incident at the Yibin base of battery giant CATL. The rumors falsely alleged that employees were prevented from using restrooms by a shift leader, leading to psychological distress.
The individual, identified as a 33-year-old man named Lin, reportedly created and disseminated the false information on a social platform on September 9. The fabricated posts claimed that employees at "a certain company's Yibin base were insulted by management, leading to psychological breakdown and extreme behavior."
Police investigations confirmed that the company and location mentioned in the rumors were inconsistent with the facts. Authorities believe Lin fabricated the story to gain attention and portray himself as having insider knowledge of the industry. The spread of these rumors caused significant public discussion and had a negative social impact.
The Sanjiang New Area Public Security Bureau has imposed administrative detention and a fine on Lin for intentionally fabricating facts and disturbing public order, according to China's Law on Penalties for Administration of Public Security. CATL had previously denied the allegations, stating the incident was malicious slander and the video did not depict their facility, and had reported the matter to the police.
Lin is currently undergoing administrative detention and has been issued a fine. CATL has confirmed it has taken legal action following the false accusations.