Controversies

Douban sues Weibo over alleged copying of group names

Lawsuit filed

Douban sued Weibo, alleging unfair competition over the alleged unauthorized copying of several Douban group names and seeking an injunction, a public apology, and RMB 1 in compensation. The source reports allegations, not a court determination.

Douban summoned over repeated illegal information and fined 1.5 million yuan

In December 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China summoned Douban's principal responsible person and editor-in-chief, noting that it and related accounts repeatedly carried information prohibited by laws and regulations from being published or transmitted, and ordered immediate rectification. The Beijing Cyberspace Administration fined the operating entity Beijing Douban Network Technology Co., Ltd. 1.5 million yuan.

Douban announces campaign to address fandom-related disorder

Company response

In June 2021, Douban announced a special campaign to address fandom-related disorder. According to the announcement, the platform's efforts included clearing harmful content and handling accounts and groups involved in specified conduct. The announcement described the campaign as a targeted response to disorder associated with fandom activity on the platform. It did not, in the summarized statement, specify the particular types of conduct covered beyond referring to them as specified, nor did it detail individual cases, named accounts, or outcomes. The notice presented the campaign as a platform-level action encompassing both content cleanup and measures directed at accounts and groups linked to the conduct in question.