Another high-profile influencer has been "silenced."

On the morning of December 5, the hashtag "Chen Zhen Banned on Multiple Platforms" surged to the top of Weibo's trending list, with its popularity continuing to rise.

Recently, well-known car reviewer Chen Zhen faced account restrictions across multiple platforms. His Weibo account displayed: "This user is currently muted due to violations of relevant laws and regulations." On Douyin, the notice read: "This user has been muted for violating platform policies." Xiaohongshu stated: "This account has been muted for breaching community rules." Bilibili showed: "Account suspended," while Kuaishou noted: "Account muted."

In response, Chen Zhen posted a video on another account, saying: "I was surprised to see this when I woke up, but I have nothing to say—I brought this on myself and need to reflect. Upon reflection, the key takeaway is that with such a large following, I should spread more positivity rather than inflammatory remarks. I’ll be more careful in the future. Thanks to everyone who reached out privately—appreciate it. As they say, learn from mistakes and improve."

Shortly after, the hashtag #ChenZhenRespondsToBan also trended on Weibo.

Public records show Chen Zhen is a veteran car reviewer and founder of "LuoBo Report," formerly an employee of Autohome. Earlier in his career, he was a well-known racer nicknamed "Second Ring Thirteen" for allegedly circling Beijing’s Second Ring Road in 13 minutes. His combined follower count exceeds 24 million, with over 10 million each on Weibo and Douyin.

In October, Chen Zhen went viral after a traffic accident. Photos surfaced showing his severely damaged Rolls-Royce Spectre with deployed airbags. He later apologized on Weibo, pledging full cooperation in resolving the matter. On October 18, he admitted to over-relying on driver-assist features and looking away to pick up an item, leading to the crash, for which he took full legal responsibility.

Recently, Chen Zhen has been active on social media. After liking a post about Xiaomi Foundation’s HK$10 million donation, he faced criticism for "hypocrisy," sparking debates. He later engaged in heated exchanges with netizens over topics like "7,000 legal staff," accused of spreading misinformation and蹭熱點 (chasing clout).

On December 3, Chen Zhen liked a Weibo topic about "online influencers penalized for violations." By December 5, users flooded his comments with remarks like "accurate prediction," "your turn came," and "didn’t expect your ban so soon."

Some bloggers speculated his ban stemmed from "polarizing rhetoric and overly emotional behavior." Meanwhile, a Weibo account named "Chen Zhen’s Classmate" posted his photos with captions like "reflect properly" and "back to work," leading some to believe it was his alt account.

Recently, cyberspace authorities have directed platforms to penalize違規 (rule-breaking) influencer accounts. For instance,賬號 "Hu Chenfeng" was shut down for long-term煽動 (inciting) group conflicts with terms like "Android people" and "Apple people." Douyin streamer "Zhang Xuefeng" faced temporary bans for prolonged profanity.

Additionally, banned users creating "new aliases" are prohibited. Influencer "Wang Zibai," previously banned for tax evasion and flaunting wealth, had his新馬甲 (new account) flagged for review.

Authorities emphasized that influencers, given their reach, must uphold lawful and civil online conduct. Platforms are urged to enforce rules, educate users, and prevent recurring violations.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Investors should proceed at their own risk.

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