No room for tall claims on WeChat Moments

The local market regulation bureau in Cixi city, East China's Zhejiang province, recently highlighted a typical case of exaggeration in advertising. In February, it was informed that a local fruit shop's owner claimed in his WeChat Moments that the durian it was selling was "the best all over the globe" and its green date "the best".

During an investigation by the bureau, the enterprise owner admitted to having made the claim on WeChat Moments, but said he had never issued any advertisement in this regard through public media outlets and when he realized that making the claim on WeChat Moments was also improper, he instantly deleted it. Nonetheless, he was slapped with a fine for making exaggerating claims.

The case should serve as a reminder that advertisements come with responsibilities.

Any text, photograph, video or audio clip that a company issues can pass for advertisement if its purpose is to promote sales. In the Cixi case, the claims on WeChat Moments were made with the purpose of promoting sales and getting more consumers to buy the shop's products. Where the owner went wrong was in making false and exaggerating claims, which is an irresponsible way of promoting sales.

The law on advertisements extends to all advertisements but what makes this case stand out is that it is the first time the bureau exercised its powers on a claim made on WeChat Moments. It sets a precedent, and going forward, it will ensure that all advertising claims made on WeChat Moments will be regulated by the law and penalties imposed on those breaking rules by making false claims in their advertisements.