China Bans ‘Must-Buy’ and ‘Avoid’ Marketing Terms in Ads
China has introduced landmark regulations restricting the use of popular but exaggerated marketing phrases such as “avoid” (避雷/bìléi) and “close your eyes and buy” (闭眼入/bìyǎnrù) in online reviews and advertising, in a sweeping effort to crack down on misleading consumer content that has proliferated across the country’s massive e-commerce ecosystem.
On June 8, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly issued the Regulations on Online Review Activities, a comprehensive regulatory framework targeting the chaotic online product review industry. The rules take effect immediately upon issuance.
What the Regulations Target
The new rules apply to all online review activities that involve testing, comparative analysis, citing professional results, or expressing usage experience to evaluate products. The regulations explicitly distinguish between professional reviews and ordinary consumer feedback — meaning a casual social media post saying “I bought this and it’s good” is not subject to the rules.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the regulations require that reviews based solely on personal perception without actual testing must be clearly labeled as “This is only a personal experience” or “Subjective feeling, for reference only.” Reviews that include shopping links to sell products must be prominently labeled as “Advertisement” and fall under China’s Advertising Law.
Testing Standards and Accountability
A central pillar of the regulations is the requirement for scientific rigor. Testing must be conducted by legally qualified inspection institutions using national or industry standards. Non-standard testing methods require prior methodological validation, and food testing is subject to the strictest requirements — non-standard methods are outright prohibited for food products.
As IT Home reported, the regulations also mandate that product samples must be ordinary consumer goods available for purchase, not specially prepared “optimized versions” for review purposes. Any third-party commissions, sponsorships, or conflicts of interest must be prominently disclosed.
High-Profile Cases Drove the Crackdown
The regulations did not emerge in a vacuum. They follow a series of high-profile legal cases that exposed deep problems in China’s influencer review industry. The most prominent case involved the self-media influencer known as “Brother Long Talks EVs” (龙哥讲电车), who fabricated false information about electric vehicle manufacturers. Between late 2025 and May 2026, he was ordered to pay a cumulative 2.26 million yuan (approximately $310,000) in damages across three defamation lawsuits filed by BYD, SERES (AITO), and XPeng Motors.
In another case, blogger Yao Mouqiang was ordered to pay 2.01 million yuan in January 2026 for publishing false test data about Fangchengbao electric vehicles. These cases, covered extensively by Chinese media including CCTV’s News 1+1, highlighted how reviewers could make authoritative-sounding claims without any actual testing.
Expert Perspectives
Peking University Law Professor Xue Jun, who serves as legal counsel to the State Administration for Market Regulation, offered a stark warning in an interview with CCTV. “If left unregulated, there will be a ‘bad money drives out good’ phenomenon that destroys the industry’s reputation and credibility,” he said. “If strictly enforced, legitimate, capable practitioners can survive, and those who do evil will be eliminated.”
Suo Muya of the China Consumer Association’s Consumer Supervision Department noted that “there are numerous ‘third-party review’ accounts on the market, with varying testing methods and standards. The phenomenon of ‘using reviews to support commerce’ and ‘using commerce to support reviews’ is common,” as reported by Beijing Evening News.
Platform Responsibilities and Enforcement
The regulations also place significant new obligations on online platforms including Douyin, Bilibili, Xiaohongshu, and Weibo. Platforms must strengthen content management, handle complaints and reports promptly, and increase enforcement against illegal content. The CAC and SAMR will establish joint enforcement mechanisms, with violations investigated and punished. Criminal cases will be transferred to judicial authorities.
Broader Implications
The regulations represent a significant shift in China’s approach to the influencer economy. For legitimate reviewers with real expertise, the new rules could provide a competitive advantage as bad actors are weeded out. However, smaller creators may struggle with the compliance burden, particularly the cost of hiring certified testing institutions.
The automotive sector is expected to be the most immediately affected, given the high-profile defamation cases and the prevalence of biased “winter tests” and “range tests” for electric vehicles. Food and beverage reviews face the strictest testing requirements, while consumer electronics and cosmetics — categories heavily reliant on review culture — will need significant adjustment.
What to Watch For
As enforcement begins, key questions remain about implementation. How will China’s regulatory agencies monitor millions of review posts across dozens of major platforms? How will the line between “professional review” and “personal experience” be drawn in practice? And how will cross-border e-commerce reviews be handled?
Professor Xue offered advice for industry participants: “This is a particularly promising industry. Those who want to build their brand and reputation should seize this opportunity to cultivate real testing capabilities.” The message is clear — in China’s new regulatory landscape for online reviews, credibility and scientific rigor will be the new currency of influence.