In Depth: How a K-Pop Beef Revealed the Chinese Internet’s Cyberbullying Problem

In March, a significant cyberbullying incident in China drew public attention to the increasing risks of personal data leaks and cyber violence, especially impacting young people. The controversy began when the 13-year-old daughter of Baidu Vice President Xie Guangjun made an offhand remark about a South Korean popstar on Weibo. This comment escalated into cyberbullying and doxing— the exposure and circulation of private information—after a K-pop fan account discussed the popstar's busy travel schedule, and a user replied that business class flights can be restful. Vitriolic attacks ensued, culminating in the leak of the user’s personal data by another user, “Your Eyes Are the World’s Smallest Lake” (YourEyes). It was soon revealed, through clues in her social posts, that YourEyes was Xie’s daughter. Public scrutiny intensified, prompting Xie to apologize for his daughter’s actions on WeChat. Despite existing restrictions on doxing, such incidents remain prevalent as youth internet usage rises [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3][para. 4][para. 5][para. 6][para. 7].

After the incident, Baidu issued a statement denying involvement in the data leak, explaining that the leaked information originated from “social engineering databases” on a platform believed to be Telegram. Such databases, compiled from previous breaches, are available for purchase and can be used to gather even more information via techniques like credential stuffing. Telegram has previously been implicated in serious cybercrimes, including South Korea’s “Nth Room” scandal. Meanwhile, Weibo, a platform with a predominantly Gen Z user base (three-quarters as of 2021), faced calls to enhance accountability. In response, Weibo removed 451 posts and penalized 147 accounts involved in doxing connected to the incident. Experts stressed that, while public awareness is vital, real data protection depends on the commitment and technical strength of online platforms [para. 8][para. 9][para. 10][para. 11][para. 12][para. 13][para. 14].

In response to rising cyberviolence, China’s central government has released numerous policy documents, and major platforms like Weibo, ByteDance, Tencent, Xiaohongshu, and Kuaishou have all upgraded their algorithms and introduced human moderation systems. However, for less severe violations, platforms often prefer education campaigns over punitive measures, seeking a balance between user experience and regulatory compliance. The escalation of online fan rivalries is sometimes fueled by entertainment companies’ pursuit of increased traffic, further undermining moderation efforts [para. 15][para. 16][para. 17].

China’s young internet user population is substantial. As of December 2024, over 16.7% of the country’s 1.1 billion internet users were aged 6–19, amounting to more than 180 million minors online. The internet penetration rate among primary schoolers rose from 89.5% to 95.1% in five years. In 2022, a CNNIC survey found that 12.8% of minors surveyed experienced account or password theft, and 6.3% reported personal information leaks. Platforms face challenges verifying users’ ages, as registration typically requires only a mobile number. While gaming platforms enforce strict controls for minors, social and video platforms are more lenient, and monitoring can be hampered by youth-specific jargon [para. 18][para. 19][para. 20][para. 21][para. 22][para. 23][para. 24].

China lacks a comprehensive statutory definition of cyberbullying. However, a new 2024 regulation by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) defines “cyber violence” as content that harms mental or physical health, specifying penalties for related offenses. Recent legal guidance has improved prosecution standards, but many argue that a unified Anti-Cyberbullying Law is required for systematic governance rather than fragmented policies [para. 25][para. 26][para. 27][para. 28][para. 29][para. 30][para. 31][para. 32][para. 33][para. 34].