Who was really behind these protests?
Well, this is interesting. You remember the massive protests, first online and then in real life, that accompanied Alibaba’s rollout of new rules for vendors? It turns out that “Zuo Lun” (a screenname), one of the chief organizers of those protests, is actually Mr. Lin, a counterfeiter who Guangzhou police arrested last week during a raid as part of a crackdown on fake products.
This certainly looks like a victory for Alibaba, which has maintained that the new rules serve to eliminate fraudulent vendors and provide Tmall customers with better quality service. Although it’s doubtful all the protesters of the new rules are counterfeiters, the fact that they reportedly were chiefly organized and led by a man who is now in police custody certainly sheds a new light on the protest movement.
Of course, Lin hasn’t yet been found guilty of any crime, although he is being held by police. It remains to be seen what effect, if any, this will have on the so-called anti-Taobao movement, but certainly in the eyes of the public, this news has taken a lot of the wind right out of its sails.
[China News Service via Shanghai Daily]
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
