Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Chinese automaker BYD said on Thursday it has received new evidence and leads related to coordinated “black PR” and “black media” activities targeting the company.
The world’s best-selling new energy vehicle (NEV) maker will now distribute rewards totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars to individuals who have provided evidence of online smear campaigns targeting the company.
In recent years, a growing number of Chinese carmakers have quietly started paying influential automotive bloggers and content creators to criticize their direct competitors.
Eight informants will receive payouts ranging from 10,000 yuan [$1,370] to 100,000 yuan [$13,700], while one major tipster was awarded 1 million yuan ($137,300) for a key piece of evidence, BYD said via its ‘BYD Online Reporting Center’ social media account.
The company has long accused rivals of engaging in “black PR” tactics—allegedly paying bloggers and influencers to spread negative narratives about competitors. Last year, BYD’s Brand and PR Manager Li Yunfei claimed on social media that a competing automaker had used such tactics to attack BYD’s reputation through defamation and negative comparisons.
In response, the EV maker called on the public to submit credible evidence, including chat records, emails, contracts, and payment receipts that could directly link individuals, PR firms, or automakers to these efforts.
BYD initially promised rewards between 200,000 yuan ($27,500) and 5 million yuan ($686,500), with strict confidentiality measures in place for whistleblowers — as the Chinese platform initially reported.
BYD isn’t the only Chinese automaker taking action against alleged online attacks. Earlier this month, EV maker Nio launched a similar initiative, offering up to 1 million yuan ($137,300) for verifiable proof of what it described as “malicious PR and online trolling.” Nio claims to have faced coordinated efforts to damage its brand image in recent months.
