This Chinese automaker was mocked for $1.5 mn reward to fight trolls. Here's why

The plan was unveiled by company vice president Fu Xiaokang at the carmaker’s New Energy Conference.

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor Co faced backlash from netizens for its cash reward announcement for people who flagged internet trolls. On Friday, the company said 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) will be rewarded to people exposing trolls against Chinese automobile companies, reported Bloomberg. However, the internet asked the automaker to focus on improving its own cars and technology.

Great Wall Motor Ltd.'s Ora Good Cat electric vehicles are charged at the company's charging station at Siam Square in Bangkok, Thailand, (Bloomberg)

The plan was unveiled by company vice president Fu Xiaokang at the carmaker’s New Energy Conference. Renowned for manufacturing sports utility vehicles and pickup trucks, the Bloomberg report added that Great Wall will award eligible people based on the value of the tipoff after its accuracy is vetted by the company and a law enforcement agency.

According to Xiaokang, the plan was introduced to combat an ‘unhealthy social-media discourse’ that spread rumours about electric vehicle safety. He also blamed China’s media for refraining from publishing the same due to social media bullying. Stating an example, he said that paid trolls claimed that a manufacturing defect led to an EV fire, which was allegedly set ablaze by the driver himself.

“These behaviours have damaged the previously fair and honest market environment and goes against the core values of our socialist society. We welcome everyone to destroy rumours and restore the truth with us,” Bloomberg quoted Xiaokang in a statement.

Some users condemned the company for hypocrisy as several positive comments on Weibo, China’s replacement for Twitter, were posted by duplicate and fake accounts.

Being the largest market for EVs and in an increasingly competitive and controlled environment, social media wields huge power in shaping consumer decisions. Although digital media endures strict censorship in China, Weibo has become host to comments supporting and criticising carmakers and automobile manufacturers.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)