Recently, the well-known anchor "Crazy Little Yang" and his anchors promoted a mooncake called "Hong Kong Meicheng" in the live broadcast room, claiming that it is a "high-end mooncake" and "Hong Kong brand". However, when consumers really wanted to buy this mooncake in Hong Kong

Recently, the well-known anchor "Crazy Little Yang" and his anchors promoted a mooncake called "Hong Kong Meicheng" in the live broadcast room, claiming that it is a "high-end mooncake" and "Hong Kong brand". However, when consumers really wanted to buy this mooncake in Hong Kong, they found that they could not find any sales channels at all. After investigation, it was found that the actual origin of this mooncake is Guangzhou and Foshan, and has no direct connection with Hong Kong. In the whole incident, both producers and sellers are using the "information gap" to "hoodwink" consumers and lure consumers to buy in the name of "Hong Kong" and "high-end products". This kind of marketing method that uses trademarks to mislead consumers not only damages the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, but also destroys the overall atmosphere and ecological environment of the live streaming industry.

In fact, not only false propaganda, but also illegal activities such as selling fake goods are not uncommon on live broadcast platforms. For example, the anchor "Crazy Little Yang" involved in the "Meicheng Mooncake" incident has been involved in many controversies over live broadcast chaos. Whether it is the "Three No Hair Dryer" in 2022, the wall-breaking machine with false power standards, or this year's "Fake Maotai" and "Taotourou", he has become the "Prince of Fake Products" among many people. Why do anchors who sell goods still choose to break the rules again after being punished? Why is the chaos of live broadcasting and selling goods never effectively managed? There may be many reasons behind this.

First of all, the boundaries and positioning of the live streaming industry are unclear and unclear. Although the Anti-Unfair Competition Law clearly stipulates that operators shall not make false or misleading commercial publicity about the performance, functions, quality, sales status, user reviews, honors, etc. of their products to deceive or mislead consumers. However, major anchors who carry goods can always cleverly avoid the definition of "operator" through various strategies to avoid possible legal liability. For example, some anchors will deliberately emphasize that they are "not sellers" during the live broadcast and declare that "this live broadcast room is only a display platform, and the store is responsible for product sales and after-sales." This directs the sales responsibility to the store operator and separates themselves from the products. Draw a clear line between quality and after-sales. However, the current laws and regulations do not clearly define the responsibilities of the main body of live streaming, which provides a "safe haven" for some anchors, allowing them to easily stay out of the matter and retreat.

Secondly, the punishment of external supervision is insufficient, which is also an important reason why the top anchors repeatedly make mistakes and sell. Previously, after the "Xianduoyu" fake raw-cut beef rolls brought by Xiao Yang were exposed, the regulatory authorities imposed a fine of 500,000 yuan on him. For ordinary merchants, a fine of 500,000 yuan is a lot. As a leading anchor with over 100 million fans, Xiao Yang’s live broadcasts can often attract sales of tens of millions or even hundreds of millions. The profits behind this can be Just imagine. Compared with its huge revenue, a fine of hundreds of thousands of yuan may be just a drop in the bucket, and it is difficult to effectively curb the recurrence of similar violations.

In order to effectively rectify the chaotic e-commerce market, relevant departments, platforms, merchants and online anchors need to work together. On the one hand, it is necessary to establish and improve an internal supervision system, raise the threshold for product review, eliminate all forms of false propaganda and illegal operations, and promptly block and remove accounts with suspicious behavior. Especially for the high-profile "Internet celebrity" products, random inspections should be intensified to ensure that every commitment is implemented and the interests of consumers are effectively protected. On the other hand, it is necessary to establish more standardized and transparent industry standards and increase punishment for violations of laws and regulations. This means that it is necessary to clarify the responsibilities for false propaganda and inaccurate goods, as well as the targeted penalties, thereby increasing the cost of violating the law and preventing merchants and anchors from easily touching the legal red line. In addition, the anchors who bring goods also need to shoulder social responsibilities. During the process of bringing goods, they must strictly screen and review the recommended products to ensure the quality of the products and the authenticity of the information.

The Meicheng mooncake incident is not only a warning to individual companies about their lack of commercial integrity, but also a call for the whole society to jointly build a fair and just market order.In the future, how to balance economic benefits and public welfare in live streaming will be an important issue faced by all participants.

Source: China Youth Online