Tencent cracks whip on WeChat users inflating readership numbers

Scores of WeChat public accounts have been found to fake the number of views and likes on their articles via “robot” WeChat accounts, after Tencent sought to block such activity on its platform with a recent back-end update.

Reports by local media on the mainland stated that from Wednesday, many WeChat public accounts which had previously gained over 10,000 views and likes for their articles saw those figures drop dramatically – by as much as 90 per cent – to just a few hundred views.

Owners of public accounts are able to post articles publicly, and WeChat users can follow them to receive notifications of new posts. This makes public accounts a popular platform for lifestyle bloggers and companies alike.

Popular accounts often accumulate tens of thousands of views and likes on each article posted, and readership numbers have become a yardstick for how popular or successful a public account is.

However, local reports claim that many of these accounts buy their readership numbers by approaching companies who specialise in creating “fake” WeChat accounts and charge as little as 15 yuan (US$2.25) for 100 views.