Nio said on Friday it is backing a government campaign to tackle online misconduct in China’s auto industry and has taken legal action against several social media accounts accused of spreading false information.
Six Chinese government agencies — including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology — announced on September 10 a new enforcement campaign targeting fake online content created for profit, exaggerated advertising claims, and smear efforts against rivals.
In a statement published Friday on Weibo, the Chinese EV maker said it “firmly supports and actively cooperates” with a special enforcement campaign launched by six government agencies.
The list also includes the Cyberspace Administration of China.
The initiative targets defamation of automakers or their products and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create and spread false content.
Nio said it has long been the subject of “malicious attacks and defamation” by individuals and online accounts.
Last month, founder and CEO William Li called for tougher measures against organized online attacks that he said are damaging China’s automotive industry.
Li spoke on state broadcaster CCTV Finance’s Economic Half-Hour, which aired an investigation into so-called “black PR” operations — an industry term for orchestrated smear campaigns.
Executives from Changan Automobile, XPeng Motors, and Xiaomi also appeared on the program, underscoring the growing concern across the industry over the rise of “black water armies.”
In Friday’s statement, Nio named one user, Dong Bin, who operates the account ‘BelieveDB,’ as having “continuously and intensively” posted false statements about Nio and its customers since 2023.
A Chinese court recently ruled against Dong in the first instance, ordering him to cease the infringing activities, issue a public apology, and compensate the EV maker for damages.
The company said the ruling demonstrates authorities’ determination to regulate the online environment and uphold fairness.
Nio also accused another outlet, a WeChat account called ‘Roadside News Agency,’ of spreading rumors about its capital market activities using “a large amount of AI-generated false information.”
According to the statement, those posts were widely circulated across social media platforms, “seriously damaging” Nio’s reputation and market environment.
The company said it has collected evidence against ‘Roadside News Agency’ and other accounts involved, and has reported the matter to public security authorities, who have opened an official investigation.
“Nio will resolutely pursue legal action and hold the responsible parties accountable,” the statement said.
“We will not tolerate any malicious attacks, smear campaigns, or paid online trolling targeting Nio or its users,” the company added.
Nio shares saw high volatility on Thursday due to a lawsuit from Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund in the US courts, accusing the company of inflating revenue.
After the US-listed shares had opened 7% lower, the stock closed 0.15% higher.
In a statement shared with EV, the company said the matter “is not a newly occurring incident, nor is it directed at Nio‘s recent operational performance.”
