According to the WeChat official account 'Ping An Shapingba', on October 15, the Shapingba District Branch of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau announced three typical cases of online rumors and cyber violence involving businesses.
Case 1: Netizen Wang (male, 38 years old) used AI software to generate fake articles in large quantities in order to gain attention and attract followers. He fabricated false content regarding a car company’s product, such as claims that the product could cause the vehicle to collide with guardrails or shift blame onto the driver. These articles were posted on online platforms, causing users to misunderstand and panic, thereby disrupting the order of the internet space and having a negative impact on society. At present, our bureau has imposed administrative detention on Wang in accordance with the law.
Case 2: Netizen Yang (male, 29 years old) created rumor information such as "a certain car company is facing capital withdrawal and financial fraud" in order to vent his emotions and attract attention. He posted this information on online platforms, maliciously slandering the corporate image and disrupting the order of the digital space, causing adverse social impacts. At present, our bureau has given Yang administrative detention according to the law.
Case 3: Netizen Chen (male, 44 years old) publicly posted insulting and threatening statements against the management of a certain car company on online platforms in order to vent his emotions and attract attention. This has seriously disrupted the normal life of the victims and caused negative social impacts. Currently, our bureau has imposed administrative detention on Chen in accordance with the law.
According to the report by The Paper, Chongqing police revealed that the victim companies in the three cases were all local Chongqing car manufacturers, namely Silex Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'Silex'). In response to the online rumors and cyber violence targeting Silex, public security organs across the country have legally investigated and dealt with 22 offenders. Among them, Chongqing police have handled 7 cases, while police from other regions have handled 15 cases.
As early as September this year, a person who violated the law used AI tools to alter the manufacturing date “2026-07” on the nameplate of the Whome M6 vehicle to “2026-10”. This led to the creation of so-called “pre-fabricated vehicles” and “time-traveling vehicles”, with the number of shares reaching over 20,000 in just a short time. Saleer subsequently issued a statement confirming that the information on the nameplate in online rumors was false, generated through Photoshop manipulation or AI modification, and stated that they had retained evidence to report the case to the public security authorities. It is understood that the public security authorities have legally investigated and dealt with this case.
The three cases disclosed by the police involve the use of AI software to generate fake content. “Unlike image editing that required a high level of technical skills in the past, with the popularization of generative AI tools, it becomes easier to modify text, dates, and partial information in images,” said industry analysts. They explained that for an edited image that retains a large amount of real information such as vehicle model and identification code, modifying just one key field can increase its deceptive effect when spread rapidly.
