BYD, a Chinese automaker, did not like what some influencers said about its cars, and so it filed defamation cases against them. Courts ordered the influencers to pay fines, with one of them paying up to $30,900 and issuing a public apology to the company.BYD has been expanding its global operations like never before, even surpassing Tesla to become the world's largest seller of electric vehicles (EVs) on an annual basis.In this journey of its growth, the company has made sure to address concerns surrounding media personalities and "high-profile" auto influencers who allegedly spread false information about the brand and its vehicles.AdvertisementAdvertisementAutoBlog reported on the matter, quoting BYD Legal, which stated that the claims made by influencers about cell performance metrics, sales figures, and financial tracking data were incorrect. The litigation process prompted systematic real-world testing to prove the claims wrong and unjust.black vehicle steering wheel close-up photographyThe Influencers and the Penalties They Faced'Tiger Wolf Cars' was among the influencers who allegedly made insulting and defamatory statements about BYD and was ordered to pay $30,900 in damages and publish a public apology. They were also asked to publicly withdraw what they had previously said.'Zhengren Talks Cars' and 'Solid-State Batteries Are Here' reportedly issued false statements and were thus ordered to pay $14,700 in damages. They, too, were ordered to publicly withdraw what they had said earlier.In addition, '987 Crazy Dad' was ordered to pay $12,500 and issue an apology for reportedly spreading false information, claiming that BYD produced cars with inferior materials that were causing quality issues.AdvertisementAdvertisement'Xiaoyu Doesn't Understand Cars' was ordered to pay $8,100 for making serious allegations against BYD that were reportedly false. They stated that BYD was engaging in "dubious business practices, including sales and financial fraud."'Hippo War God' and 'Zhang Bin Plays Off-Road' also reportedly made defamatory remarks, and they have now been ordered to issue public apologies.BYD Has Shown It Won't Tolerate False StatementsBYD's legal victory over defamatory remarks made by automotive influencers suggests it won't spare anyone who makes false claims.This is certainly not a common industry practice, but it sends a message to influencers reviewing cars to remain factual in their claims.
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