Masters of web clean click baiting

Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

In recent years, "traffic monetization" has brought huge economic benefits. This has led to the boom of the network economy, and also led to the new disguised way of "cheating" and click farming. In 2021, the State Administration for Market Regulation launched a nationwide campaign against unfair competition in key areas. It cracked down on unfair competition practices, such as click farming and campaigns by organizing professional teams and using online advertorials, influencers, well-known bloggers and live streaming platforms. By the first half of 2021, market regulatory authorities at all levels nationwide had investigated and handled 3,128 cases of unfair competition, with fines totaling 206 million yuan ($31.8 million). Experts explained that consumers may have no idea that the so-called numbers of fans, views and likes can be "farmed". Some sellers induced consumers to consume impulsively and irrationally by creating the "false prosperity" of the live streaming studio. However, fake is fake. No matter what illegal activities were cloaked under the guise of legality, its essence is still a false transaction.