China Arrests Woman for 'Defaming' Olympians
A Chinese woman has been arrested for allegedly defaming others on social media in a crackdown on what Chinese authorities see as harmful negativity during the Olympics from overzealous fans and online fan clubs.
Beijing police said in a statement that they had arrested the 29-year-old suspect after receiving tips from the public that some people had made defamatory posts about athletes and coaches after a closely watched women's table tennis final.
The final was a repeat of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, featuring Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha, who are both Chinese.
The most vocal supporters were for Tokyo Silver medalist Yingsha, whose popularity soared after those Games and hit new heights when she won gold in the mixed doubles in Paris.
Sun was the top-ranked player in the women's singles and didn't lose a game on her way to the final. However, Meng, won the match 4-2, taking her second straight gold medal.
Afterward, some of Sun's fans flooded social media with comments hostile to Chen.
At least three major social media platforms deleted or otherwise restricted thousands of posts and comments and suspended the accounts of hundreds of users. Several state media outlets criticized the outbursts.
Weibo, a popular social media platform in China, said the day after the match that it had removed more than 12,000 posts and comments, and suspended more than 300 accounts.
China's internet regulator has cracked down previously on similar "fan culture" built around entertainment stars.
The phenomenon spread to athletes in China following the 2016 Rio Olympics, according to the state-owned Global Times newspaper, which said fan leaders start battles on social media, manipulate comment sections and attack athletes and others, leading to fierce conflicts between fan groups.
The police didn't report exactly what the woman who was arrested had posted on social media, but said her comments had caused a "negative social impact."
