BYD Wins Court Battle Against Online Accounts for Spreading False Information

Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD has secured a significant legal victory in its fight against online defamation, with a court ordering compensation of 2 million yuan (approximately $279,000) from defendants who spread false information about the company.

The first-instance court ruling, announced on December 25, found that operators of social media accounts titled “Long Ge Talks Electric Cars” and “Full Battery New Energy” had fabricated and disseminated misleading content about the automaker, according to information disclosed by BYD’s legal department and reported by Chinese media outlet Sina.

The court determined that these false claims had substantially damaged BYD’s commercial reputation and harmed public perception of its products. In addition to the monetary compensation, the ruling mandates that the defendants immediately cease all infringing activities and take measures to eliminate the negative impact caused by their false statements.

While the specific content of the defamatory claims and the platforms on which they appeared were not disclosed in public reports, the case highlights the increasing tension between social media commentary and corporate reputation management in China’s competitive EV market.

Industry analysts note that as BYD has risen to become one of the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturers, the company has faced heightened scrutiny and occasional disinformation campaigns. The substantial compensation amount ordered by the court signals judicial recognition of the potential commercial harm caused by online misinformation.

The case remains subject to appeal, as this represents only a first-instance decision in China’s multi-tiered judicial system. Neither party has publicly indicated whether they intend to challenge the ruling.

Li Yunfei, general manager of brand and public relations at BYD Group, commented on the case by drawing a clear distinction between legitimate criticism and deliberate reputational attacks. “We welcome supervision from all sectors of society and accept criticism based on objective facts,” Li was quoted as saying in multiple Chinese media reports.

BYD’s legal department reinforced this position, stating that while the company respects public oversight, online activities remain subject to legal accountability. The automaker indicated it would continue using legal measures to defend its interests when facing what it considers to be insults, rumors, or defamatory conduct.

The ruling comes at a time when BYD continues its aggressive global expansion, having recently surpassed Tesla in total EV sales volume, though Tesla still leads in battery-only vehicle sales when BYD’s plug-in hybrids are excluded from the count. The company has been pushing into European, Southeast Asian, and Latin American markets, making brand reputation an increasingly valuable asset.

China’s digital landscape has seen similar cases in recent years as companies become more proactive in protecting their reputations against online detractors. The country’s courts have shown increasing willingness to support businesses against what they determine to be malicious online commentary, particularly when economic damages can be demonstrated.

For consumers and industry observers, the case underscores the evolving boundaries between free expression and corporate defamation in China’s rapidly growing electric vehicle sector, where intense competition and national pride have sometimes blurred the lines of acceptable criticism.

As the judgment enters the public record, it establishes a precedent regarding the potential legal consequences for social media accounts that publish unverified or deliberately misleading information about major corporations in China’s booming technology sectors.