A Chinese social media influencer has been kicked off the country’s most popular online platforms because internet censorship authorities disapproved of his posts showing off his luxury clothes and high-end jewelry.
Wang Hongquanxing, who has earned the moniker “China’s Kim Kardashian” for his overt displays of wealth, was abruptly taken off China’s social media sites for bragging about the large amounts of money he spends on clothing and other goods, according to reports.
Wang, who once bragged that he never left his home without wearing jewelry and clothing that totals at least $1.4 million in value, has been barred from sites including Weibo, Douyin and Xiaohongshu.
The Chinese government’s “cyberspace administration” ruled that social media users were not permitted to “create ostentatious personas.”
Experts speculated that Chinese government authorities were sensitive to wealthy individuals flaunting their good fortune during a time of significant economic downturn nationwide.
“It is likely that many people do see this sort of content as vulgar, particularly during an economic slowdown,” Carwyn Morris, an expert on Chinese internet policy for Leiden University in the Netherlands, told Financial Times.
“So this conduct makes the authority seem more moral and upstanding in their actions.”
In April, Chinese authorities said they would crack down on any online behavior that was “deliberately showcasing a lavish lifestyle built on wealth.”
“Once materialism starts spreading, it can have a bad influence on teenagers . . . Hence this trend of luxury on the internet needs to be stopped,” the authorities announced in a statement published by state-run media in China.
Wang, however, reportedly continued to show off his wares online.
On the TikTok-like social media platform Douyin, the 31-year-old has 4.3 million followers who view his short-form videos in which he is seen talking about the seven luxury apartments he owned in Beijing.
Wang would also appear wearing jade and pink diamonds, according to report.
Chinese censors also banned another influencer, “Sister Abalone,” a middle-aged socialite who boasts more than 2 million followers.
According to reports, “Sister Abalone” would regal her followers with video tours of the mansions that she owns in Macau.
The influencer known as “Mr. Bo” was also removed from online platforms after he posted videos to his 3 million followers showing him carrying around his dogs in designer bags.
“Mr. Bo” was also known to brag about the custom Rolls-Royce that he received as a gift for his 25th birthday.
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