IN BRIEF (Page 6)

Beijing

WeChat abusers to face consequences

WeChat users who post information about prohibited items for sale, such as illegal healthcare products and wildlife parts, will be punished by the platform, according to a release on WeChat's safety center on Friday. Punishments vary from blocking the offender from accessing certain WeChat functions to shutting down the account, it said. Since January, WeChat has penalized the holders of 2,800 personal accounts and 1,200 chat groups. Also, some 900 links for selling illegal items were banned. Users are encouraged to report illegal advertisements, the release said.