A slew of traditional celebrities have fallen foul of laws and regulations in China in recent years.
Among those banned by the authorities are famous actress Fan Bingbing, who was caught up in a tax evasion scandal in 2018, and Canadian-Chinese actor Kris Wu, imprisoned on rape charges in 2022.
But the crackdown did not stop there.
Since May, internet celebrities have increasingly found themselves in the cross hairs.
On May 21, dozens of key opinion leaders (KOLs) had their accounts banned, including three prominent influencers with millions of followers, Wang Hongquanxing, Bo Gongzi, and Baoyu Jiajie.
They share a common trait, frequently showcasing their luxurious lifestyles.
State media has described their wealth-flaunting style as a “toxic influence”.
“This type of behaviour creates a highly distorted fantasy, spreading unhealthy values through the pursuit of wealth,” The Paper wrote.
The crackdown on ostentatious influencers has sparked a heated discussion on mainland social media.
“They haven’t broken any laws they are just showing their lives. Why should they be banned?” said one online observer on Weibo.
Wang Hongquanxing, 30, whose real name is Wang Hongquan, hails from Hebei province in northern China.
Jewellery dealer Wang told the mainland media outlet Phoenix News that he owns seven properties in a high-end Beijing residential compound, with a total value of 800 million yuan (US$110 million).
Wang’s neighbour and friend is Fan Bingbing.
He also said that he never goes out unless he is wearing an expensive outfit and jewels worth at least 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million).
His videos earned him the tag “China’s Kim Kardashian”.
Wang’s style differs from other showy influencers. He is sincere, approachable and loves interacting with his fans.
He gained 4.4 million followers on Douyin, where fans call him “Little Nagger”.
Wang admits to being vain, adding that his wealth compensates for his insecurity about his appearance.
He has been committed to charity for 11 years, donating money to children in impoverished mountainous areas of China, according to Tencent News.
At present, all his mainland social media accounts have been banned.
Wang Luinan, known as Bo Gongzi, which means “Young Master Bo”, is a Shanghai-based “Hermes collector” with 3 million followers on Douyin.
The 20-something often talks about his wealthy and influential boyfriend, whom he calls “The Master”.
In a video series My Love Stories with The Master, he said that on his birthday, The Master gave him a Porsche worth a million yuan (US$140,000).
In return, Wang gave his boyfriend a Vacheron Constantin watch worth 325,000 yuan (US$45,000).
“Each time he swipes his credit card, the expense equals my annual salary,” said one online observer on Douyin.
All of Wang’s videos on Douyin have been deleted, and his Weibo account has been banned.
This online celebrity is a 50-something woman from Guangdong province in southern China who now lives in Macau, according to NetEase News.
She reportedly often snacks on dried abalone costing 25,000 yuan (US$3,500) each, earning her the nickname “Sister Abalone”.
In her Douyin videos, she shows off her residence, a mansion of over 3,300 square metres with gardens, courtyards and a golf course.
Every time she goes out, she wears jade jewellery worth millions.
Her Douyin account had 2.3 million followers, but has been banned.
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