Clickbait bites back: Staged noodle video lands creator in hot water

A woman in Liaocheng, Shandong province, was detained for five days and her social media account permanently shut down for fabricating a video depicting the abuse of her hospitalized mother-in-law to gain online attention, police said on Sunday.

The 40-year-old woman, surnamed Lin, posted staged videos on her account "Lin Jie Rou Jia Mo" showing her giving only instant noodles to her hospitalized mother-in-law while she ate meat. The videos went viral, sparking outrage and accusations of exploiting the sensitive topic of family conflicts.

Lin later admitted the videos were fake, collaborating with her mother instead of her mother-in-law, and apologized for causing negative social impact.

An investigation by Liaocheng police found Lin intentionally misled viewers to garner views and followers. She was detained for five days under security measures, the maximum allowed for fabricating online information. Her social media account was also permanently shut down.