Xianyu, a popular Chinese second-hand marketplace, has issued a strong denial regarding recent media reports alleging the presence of obscene content, particularly involving minors, on its platform. In a statement released on September 23rd, the company presented the findings of its comprehensive investigation, asserting that no obscene information was found in its publicly displayed content, and explicitly refuting claims of content involving minors.
Investigation Findings and Platform Actions
Xianyu’s internal review, conducted following the media reports, found no instances of obscene material within the publicly accessible sections of its platform. The company clarified that the screenshots of alleged illicit chat conversations cited in the reports originated from other platforms, not from Xianyu.
The platform has zero tolerance for activities that use Xianyu to facilitate illegal or non-compliant traffic diversion. Xianyu emphasized its commitment to preventing any incidents that harm minors. The company stated that it strictly controls publicly displayed information in accordance with laws and regulations and has conducted multiple self-inspections of its entire platform in response to the media coverage.
Addressing Private Chat and Cross-Platform Issues
Regarding traffic diversion within private chat functionalities (which are not publicly displayed), Xianyu highlighted its use of technological measures to block illegal keywords and its vigilance in preventing the platform from being used for illegal redirection.
Xianyu detailed its response to the specific violations reported. The reported content, including chat records allegedly involving minors, was determined from the screenshots to be from other platforms. Xianyu has reported the relevant merchants, QR codes, and chat records to those platforms for their follow-up actions.
Despite the fact that the chat and transactions mentioned in the media reports occurred on other platforms, Xianyu acknowledges its responsibility as a target platform for illicit diversion by criminals and will not shirk its governance duties.
To prevent malicious actors from using normal product listings as a cover to evade scrutiny and divert users to other social platforms for illegal transactions, Xianyu has already reported the matter to the public security authorities. The company has handed over the relevant reports and information to the police and pledges its full cooperation with the investigation.
Commitment to Combating Illicit Activities and Industry Collaboration
Xianyu characterized the fight against black and gray industries as a long and arduous battle requiring continuous effort. The company recognizes the industry-wide challenge of cross-platform traffic diversion and is committed to fulfilling its platform responsibilities. This includes actively cooperating with relevant government departments, continuously upgrading its technical identification capabilities, and increasing the intensity of manual inspections.
Furthermore, Xianyu is calling for a joint initiative among internet platforms to establish an anti-diversion alliance specifically targeting black and gray industries. This alliance would leverage technological solutions and multi-platform collaboration to block the flow of traffic to illegal and criminal activities facilitated through online platforms.
This statement comes in the wake of previous reports where Xianyu had announced the formation of a special task force to combat such illicit activities and had called for similar collaborative actions from other platforms.
