Kuaishou’s top e-commerce influencer accuses platform of unfair treatment in rare public spat
- Xin Youzhi, widely known as Xinba, has stopped updating his social media since Saturday, when his shopping show on Kuaishou was abruptly paused
- The dispute is the latest example of the love-hate relationship between social media businesses and their A-list sellers
The top influencer on Kuaishou Technology, China’s No 2 short video platform, has complained about being unfairly treated in a rare open spat between a live streaming star and a major internet platform.
Xin Youzhi, widely known as Xinba, or The Lion King’s Simba in English, has stopped updating his social media since Saturday, when his shopping show on Kuaishou was abruptly paused after he claimed online that he was drunk, and accused Kuaishou of unfair treatment compared with other influencers.
He became emotional during a live shopping session, threatening to report “inappropriate practices” of the Hong Kong-listed firm to the Securities and Futures Commission.
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Neither Kuaishou nor Xin immediately responded to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Shares of Hong Kong-listed Kuaishou Technology gained nearly 9 per cent on Tuesday.
The dispute between Kuaishou and Xin, who together with his apprentices contributed to a quarter of the platform’s gross merchandise volume in 2019, is the latest example of the love-hate relationship between social media businesses and their A-list sellers.
In December 2023, live-streaming e-commerce website East Buy fired its chief executive after he made comments angering fans of a top influencer on the platform. The star streamer, Dong Yuhui, was subsequently promoted to assistant of culture to the chairman Yu Minhong.
Li Ziqi, one of the most popular Chinese YouTubers, stopped posting content nearly three years ago after a dispute with her agent Hangzhou Weinian Brand Management Co. The two reached a settlement in 2022, but details were not disclosed. Fans have speculated that Li’s reluctance to over-monetise her online presence may have been a factor in the dispute.
It is not the first time that Xin has criticised Kuaishou, where he has exclusive exposure after being blocked by rival video app Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, in November 2023.
As of Tuesday, Xin had more than 100 million followers on Kuaishou.
In March last year, he accused the platform of cooking user data, which led to a two-day suspension. In 2021, he was temporarily silenced when he accused the company of manipulating the app’s algorithm so it would limit recommendations of his videos to users.
Li Chengdong, founder of market consultancy Dolphin, said the latest episode “may be a hype ahead of the 618 festival”, one of the largest online shopping events in China, that usually kicks off in late May or early June.
