Defamation lawsuits should be 'warning' to new media providers

Three lawsuits lodged by Chinese conglomerates Alibaba and Dalian Wanda in the past week over allegedly fabricated articles and false attribution are a warning to operators of social media subscription services to abide by the law in the booming new-media environment, experts said.

Alibaba Group Holding, China's Internet giant, sued Today Evening, a Tianjin-based newspaper, and Fujian Yihong Dabaihao Tea Co on Wednesday after both published articles via WeChat critical of Alibaba's behemoth online market, Taobao, and Chairman Jack Ma.

Alibaba demanded that the operators providing the information streams to WeChat make a public apology, delete the articles and pay compensation of 10 million yuan ($1.56 million).