Tianjin court orders livestream anchor to refund half of virtual gifts lavished by married fan

A court in Tianjin has ruled in favor of a husband whose wife showered a young livestream anchor with virtual gifts worth over 450,000 yuan ($62,100).

The wife, identified by her surname Gao, became infatuated with the anchor, Sun, who was significantly younger. Their online interaction extended to offline dates, where Sun allegedly cultivated feelings in Gao while subtly encouraging her to send expensive virtual gifts during his livestreams.

Over nine months, Gao gifted Sun over 18,000 virtual items, translating to over 450,000 yuan in revenue for the anchor. The husband, Yang, sued Sun after discovering the excessive spending.

Yang argued that his wife's actions constituted a violation of their marital fidelity and unauthorized use of their shared finances. He sought a full refund of the 450,000 yuan spent.

Sun countered that Gao's actions were simply for entertainment purposes, similar to any online shopping.

The court acknowledged that while initial interactions with Sun may have been for entertainment, the offline relationship developed beyond the typical streamer-fan dynamic. The court deemed the exorbitant amount spent a violation of social norms and public decency. Additionally, the court considered Sun's awareness of Gao's marital status and his encouragement of excessive spending as contributing factors.

The court ruled partially in Yang's favor, ordering Sun to return half of his earnings — over 220,000 yuan — within 10 days.

The court also issued a judicial recommendation to the livestream platform, urging them to implement stricter content moderation, ethical guidelines, and a stronger account monitoring and penalty system.

In response, the platform reviewed the case and banned Sun's account. They have also implemented an "anchor health score" system to manage streamers based on a tiered system. Accounts with low scores will face restrictions, including limitations on gifting functions and suspension of income withdrawals.