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Xiaomi Investigated For Using Superlatives In Advertising, Now Illegal In China
An anonymous reader writes: Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is under investigation for using superlative messaging on its website, according to a leaked document from the Beijing Ministry of Industry and Commerce. A new Chinese law states that adjectives used to promote products must not mislead consumers. The Xiaomi investigation [Chinese] follows claims made by rival Cong that the company used phrases such as 'the best' and 'the most advanced', in its online campaigns and therefore violated the country's advertising law. (The law against suprelatives doesn't seem to apply to communications by the government, about the government.)
Pot Meet Mr Kettle "(The law against suprelatives doesn't seem to apply to communications by the government, about the government.) " - Never stopped the USA claiming to be number one in everything either. nor the greatiest nation ever.
1) Overt or covert use of national flag, anthem or emblem of People’s Republic of China or military flag, anthem or emblem;
2) Overt or covert use of the name or image of national public institute or staff of national public institute;
3) Use of words such as “national-level”, “the most” and “the best”, among others;
4) Causing detriment to national dignity or interests, or disclosing national secrets;
5) Interfering with social stability, or causing detriment to social and public interests;
6) Harming personal or property safety, or disclosing privacy;
7) Interfering with social public order, or going against good social norm;
8) Containing obscene, pornographic, gambling, superstitious, terrifying, or violent content;
9) Containing discrimination based on nationality, race, religion, or gender;
10) Affecting protection of environment, natural resources or cultural heritage;
11) Other situations prohibited by laws and regulations.
Merely sounds like another tool for the Party to deal with companies that are not state owned. Most companies will be found guilty of some section of this but they won't be prosecuted until they run afoul of the Party. In China (and increasingly in the US) everyone is guilty of something but only those that the state wants to be prosecuted will be prosecuted.
So looking at the story, we have a new law enacted a month ago and whose head is on the chopping block today? Xiaomi? Well from wikipedia:
Xiaomi Inc. is a privately owned Chinese electronics company headquartered in Beijing, China, that is the world's 4th[4] largest smartphone maker. Xiaomi designs, develops, and sells smartphones, mobile apps, and related consumer electronics.[5]
Aaaaaand there's your problem. Wake me up when a state owned company is prosecuted under these new laws. Xiaomi's true crime was probably doing better than Huawei.
My work here is dung.
This smells like one of those cases where a little used law is pulled out to harass someone. I'm thinking there must be some sort of underlying politics at work here.
I read the internet for the articles.
Before anyone gets confused by the headline, remember that superlatives are very different from laxatives.
Interesting trivia, but I hope you're not trying to say that's a reason not to ban it.
Nazis used trains, too. Should we ban trains?
15 minutes could save you up to 15% or more on car insurance.
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
Considering Chinas' human rights record, I'm surprised that they didn't have their homes raided in the middle of the night, hauled out into an alleyway somewhere and summarily shot to death. Or taken to Tiananmen Square and run over by a tank, or something. Oh, I know: Maybe they're making smartphones to sell to Western countries, and they're full of malware and spyware right from the factory, so the communist government can spy on us more easily; that must be it.
The Nazis did a lot of things wrong, but they also did many things right. Their wrongs shouldn't keep us from learning from their rights.
No, they have been Republican since Nixon "opened" China. He opened it.
Well, VW is not looking so good right now, so perhaps. ;)
Yes?
Their ads will be blank over there.
" The law against suprelatives doesn't seem to apply to communications ... about the government."
So you can say, "The Chinese government is the absolute best at violating human rights!" ?
Pretending this is my office full of bitter coworkers..
If you are a leftist, beating the shit out of private companies is well and good. Remember: corporations are evil! Prosecuting them is only a good thing. Are you a corporate shill?
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
Merely sounds like another tool for the Party to deal with companies that are not state owned. Most companies will be found guilty of some section of this but they won't be prosecuted until they run afoul of the Party.
What is the basis for this belief, other than anecdotes?
Communists don't believe in free speech?
Shocking.
It's not that binary. The United States has its own truth in advertising laws that, in my personal opinion, are beneficial at both the federal and state level. Slashdot readers are free to go the Libertarian route and claim the free market would alleviate these issues on its own or perhaps point out how downright pedantic it can be at times. But the truth of the matter is that, as a consumer, we only have so many hours in a day to decide which of the thousands of products we consume in a year we should spend our money on. So it does come down to federal guidelines for what is "Grade A" or "Organic" or "Green" when there is a label espousing these properties and there are consumers paying a premium for this notion. Without those guidelines those words will mean absolutely nothing and there will be no way to tell where your product was made, how much cadmium it has in it or whether it is the end result of spewing carbon into the atmosphere. Without similar laws, you wouldn't be able to trust the nutritional information at the grocery store. Is it free speech to claim that my potato chips cure cancer and lead to weight loss no matter how many of them you eat? People will know that I'm lying? Cigarettes used to sooth sore throats. Trans fats used to taste awesome.
Speech used by an individual to express ideas is free speech. Advertisements -- especially advertisements representing a very large organization -- are not. Corporations should not have the same rights individuals have and I feel that free speech is one of those clear cut distinctions. There is a long history of consumer protection everywhere in the world -- learn about your own country's struggles with it. It's not a simple issue and advertisement should not be regarded as free speech.
My work here is dung.
No more doge memes in China!
Such superlative. Best rights. Wow.
> Corporations should not have the same rights individuals have
And, it sucks that the progressives decided that corporations should be people so they could tax them. Now that decision is coming back to bite us.
So you don't think a group of people acting together should have less rights than an individual? No. If you are with a group then you have made the decision to give up your rights.
If you are a leftist, beating the shit out of private companies is well and good. Remember: corporations are evil! Prosecuting them is only a good thing. Are you a corporate shill?
I am neither a leftist nor a corporate shill. I believe in beating the shit out of private companies that deserve to have the "shit beat out" of them. You need only look at the lengthy history of consumer protection in the United States to find instances where this was and is necessary. Take, for example, Debt Collection Practices. Please, please, please "beat the shit out" of unscrupulous collection agencies. Please "beat the shit" out of the companies that call my grandmother to deliver unsolicited advertisements about a "warranty extension" on her car. There are plenty of private companies that should have this done to them. The issue I take with China's implementation is 1) that it will never target a state owned business and 2) the guidelines are by no means clearly laid out and can be ambiguously interpreted. Who will interpret them? When will they interpret them? Why just in time and by the same state body that made them. Please tell me, how can I prove that my product's advertising does not "Cause detriment to national dignity"?
My work here is dung.
Just a quick reminder that VW was started by hitler, operated by slave labor And cheated on emissions testing.
While they did a lot of things wrong they did do some things right.
Fanta was not one of them...
Superlaxatives should be outlawed. No one gives a shit.
Exactly. Groups of people do not have rights. You are correct in your statement.
The problem is where do you draw the line. Is a group of three people large enough to have no rights?
Now I understand why every Chinese American store and/or product is named 'Super Happy Best for Lucky Joyful Times'.
For people of privilege the number should be much smaller before they lose rights. I think a group of three whites should have their rights reduced.
Nowhere else can the greatest trivialities provide the heaviest handed decisions
You should have been waken up indeed. Also Xiaomi is currently being promoted by Chinese leaders (e.g. Premier Li Keqiang) as a star entrepreneur to encourage more hi-tech start ups along with Alibaba.
The funny thing is that with the guidelines in the U.S. it's fine to use superlatives, at least with parity products, but you cannot claim to be better than some specific product without proof. The reasoning is that most common items are made from the same basic formula. One brand of dish soap is pretty much the same as any other and because they're so similar, they can claim to be the best, because as far as the law is concerned the products are essentially the same.
Corporations should not have the same rights individuals
Correct. When two or more people get together, then they do not have rights. The Constitution guarantees them nothing. It doesn't matter if a group is composed of people since their rights as a group is a fraction of the sum of the parts. The only remaining question is if the loss of rights should be proportional to the size of the group. So, for example, should Kraft have less rights than a married couple? I think so, but where do you draw then line where you start taking rights?
Merely sounds like another tool for the Party to deal with companies that are not state owned. Most companies will be found guilty of some section of this but they won't be prosecuted until they run afoul of the Party.
What is the basis for this belief, other than anecdotes?
Certainly. Here's a text and video advertisement that does imply I can make the "most lifelike enjoyment" with a Huawei tablet. On top of that, I am lead to believe this device provides oculus-like effects during usage. When will the state prosecute themselves, pray tell?
It doesn't have to stop there as I feel that the woman in that commercial is immodestly dressed causing detriment to national dignity or interests. Do you see the problem with ambiguity in the language here?
Corporations should not have the same rights individuals have and I feel that free speech is one of those clear cut distinctions.
Exactly. People acting together should not have the same rights as someone acting alone. Too bad the Republicans hate individuals and want individuals to have the same rights as a collection of people.
You should have been waken up indeed.
What on Earth do corruption charges have to do with truth in advertising laws?
Well, back when I spent some time in East Germany I had to ride some WW2 era trains and I am going to have to go with: Yes. Yes we should ban the trains the Nazis used -- they were horribly uncomfortable and ugly compared to modern trains.
"most elegant", "highest class", "most luxurious" in China?
But if, as you say, groups of people have no rights then what about the government? It should have more rights than an individual rather than more. How do you reconcile that with your beliefs.
I like Fanta, especially the grape and strawberry flavors.
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
The US government passes plenty of laws that it, itself, also violates with no fear of reprisal.
Pot meet kettle.
Please "beat the shit" out of the companies that call my grandmother to deliver unsolicited advertisements about a "warranty extension" on her car.
Is this a thing now? Because god damn, this company has been harassing me non stop about a warranty extension on my car. It's the first time I've experienced this many unsolicited phones calls and junk mail since they came out with the do-not-call list. I've told them four times now that I'm not interested and they keep calling.
How can you prove your product isn't terrifying in some way?
I find this law terrifying, does that count as breaking the law?
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
Do you mean to tell me that Barney Stinson, when traveling in China, will not be able to say he is "AWESOME" or that his exploits are Legen - (wait for it...) - dary?
But the truth of the matter is that, as a consumer, we only have so many hours in a day to decide which of the thousands of products we consume in a year we should spend our money on. So it does come down to federal guidelines for what is "Grade A" or "Organic" or "Green" when there is a label espousing these properties and there are consumers paying a premium for this notion. Without those guidelines those words will mean absolutely nothing and there will be no way to tell where your product was made, how much cadmium it has in it or whether it is the end result of spewing carbon into the atmosphere. Without similar laws, you wouldn't be able to trust the nutritional information at the grocery store. Is it free speech to claim that my potato chips cure cancer and lead to weight loss no matter how many of them you eat? People will know that I'm lying? Cigarettes used to sooth sore throats. Trans fats used to taste awesome.
Okay, how about "Tasty" or "Chunky" or "Kids love it!"? How can we allow companies to just sling those words around willy-nilly without a few hundred men in Washington DC taxing and regulating everything to make sure we aren't led astray? I pay an extra 12% per can for "Thick and Chunky" stew instead of the plain stew, which must in comparison be thin and runny. Since corporations are evil and out to deceive me to trick me into giving them money, how can I be sure the Safeway-brand frozen pizza actually is "Tasty"? What happens when the can of "thick and chunky" soup only has two pieces of beef and a couple little cubes of carrots? How about when I try to serve my child the raisin oat bran cereal and not only do they not love it, they refuse to eat it?
"Green" or "Organic" are just words. They are words which marketers observed in daily use and wanted consumers to identify with their product, in exactly the same way marketers want you to associate their products with words like "Zesty" or "Bursting With Fruit Flavor!"
Design a conceptual framework which allows the government to regulate the word "Organic" which does not also allow them to regulate "Healthy" or "Very Berry!" or "Extra Bold Taste".
Speech used by an individual to express ideas is free speech. Advertisements -- especially advertisements representing a very large organization -- are not. Corporations should not have the same rights individuals have and I feel that free speech is one of those clear cut distinctions. There is a long history of consumer protection everywhere in the world -- learn about your own country's struggles with it. It's not a simple issue and advertisement should not be regarded as free speech.
Hollywood, Television, has become the dream machine. We need to take that back; each of us is a Dream Machine
There are three classes of business in China.
1. State-sponsored or owned businesses. Short of a scandal like the melamine dog food one, they can get away with practically anything. No foreign interest can hold them accountable.
2. State-sanctioned businesses. They've paid off the right people to look the other way, but if scrutiny becomes too great, they'll be thrown under the bus -- but only after high-ranking officials cash out, of course.
3. Everyone else. They have to play on a field with Calvinball rules and moving goalposts.
Sometimes joint ventures with foreign companies can make their way into class 2. Often they're allowed to languish in Class 3, especially if they're exporting everything they make.
How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
Ugh, quote FAIL. The final paragraph belongs to the comment I was replying to.
Speech used by an individual to express ideas is free speech. Advertisements -- especially advertisements representing a very large organization -- are not. Corporations should not have the same rights individuals have and I feel that free speech is one of those clear cut distinctions. There is a long history of consumer protection everywhere in the world -- learn about your own country's struggles with it. It's not a simple issue and advertisement should not be regarded as free speech.
Hollywood, Television, has become the dream machine. We need to take that back; each of us is a Dream Machine
YOU say "hosts=bad" (but they add security, speed, & reliability) & bitch on admin privelege to UPDATE vs. threats online:
"So, have you figured out why privilege escalation is a bad thing yet?" - by Coren22 on Tuesday September 22, 2015 @05:15PM (#50577809)
Hypocrite - You admit you use admin priv
&
How else could I programmatically update hosts minus it in Windows?
---
"Of course it requires elevation to write to the hosts file" - by Coren22 (1625475) on Wednesday September 23, 2015 @05:35PM (#50585879)
You FINALLY admit later there's no other way!
FACT:
Even MalwareBytes AntiMalware (best one) DEMANDS you use admin privelege (you saying it's "bad" too?) it can't do its job fully otherwise, like many security tools do!
---
Aryeh Goretsky NOD32/ESET says hosts = good security -> http://it.slashdot.org/comment...
Oliver Day (Symantec) does too -> http://www.securityfocus.com/c...
MalwareBytes' hpHosts hosts & recommends my APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit -> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl...
---
* HOW MANY SECURITY PROS MORE DO I NEED TO KNOCK THE CHOCOLATE OUTTA YOU?
---
Those security pros INCLUDE me: I work w/ those guys from malwarebytes' hpHosts on a regular basis!
I've professionally worked for decades as a combined domain-wide network admin & software engineer since 1994 (Even showing you HOW to migrate a hosts across an enterprise -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... )
I've also been securing computers + WRITING GUIDES using CIS Tool (who took fixes from me too - bonus) http://www.bing.com/search?q=%...
You told me you learn from guides? I write 'em (good ones) that MILLIONS USE & was PAID FOR IT http://pcpitstop.com/news/winn...
+ WARES TO PROTECT USERS that're endorsed & hosted by security pros -> http://start64.com/index.php?o...
You did all that? No & that's a small part of what I could put out.
APK
P.S.=> You're all TALK -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... & a "ne'er-do-well" as far as security
...apk
> HUD services
The Govt provides Heads Up Displays?
That's the craziest law ever! Even the best educated, most intelligent, wisest, most savvy lawyer would be hard pressed to avoid using amazing superlatives in describing the absolute acme of technological innovation or service.
No, I just thought it was interesting. Now, the Nazi's anti-smoking campaigns...
Apple's entire marketing department would collapse in on itself into a hyperbolic black hole!
Listen, buddy.. you have a serious problem. It's not normal to so much need to be right all the time that you post diarrhea like this in a public discussion forum let alone posting it repeatedly. Do you really feel so powerless and insecure in your real life that you have to act like this on the internet? Or maybe you have no impulse control to speak of and just can't manage to stop yourself from clicking that 'submit' button before thoroughly thinking through what it is you're doing? Or maybe you take too much caffeine (or some other stimulant) every day, and the result is you're just running wild all the time, no self control of any kind? Are there voices in your head, telling you to do things?
Get some help. Or at least get someone to monitor you, so you stop doing destructive and quite frankly stupid things like this. You're just embarassing yourself. Makes me wonder if you're going to get arrested (or have already been arrested) for things you've done in real life.
AFAIK, in the US you can use "the best" but not "better than" unless you have a way to back it up. Thus, "the best beer" is OK, but "better than Bud" is not OK unless you cite some specific like, "beat Bud in a blind taste test".
Having different rules for different countries is probably going to give international ad campaigners some fits. That's the beauty of sovereignty though. Different systems, and we get to see what's workable in practice and what isn't.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
If you need to do a "P.S." in every fucking post, you're doing it wrong.
Capitalists believe in fraud as a God-given right? Shocking.
Learn to love Alaska
The Nazis did a lot of things wrong
The worst of which was misusing encryption.
precedent was already set when you set up your governmental system. The governmemt t doesn't have any rights than the individuals as a group (oh the irony) give it.
Hmm. Now that I think about it, the Party has been training the people to accept its claims as fact for decades. Maybe they are worried it worked too well.
...What?
Woah, hold on. Corporations are just groups of people that work together. You can't deny one a particular right without denying it to all the people who comprise it.
People don't surrender their rights by associating with others. A group of one hundred people is one hundred individuals with a set of rights. Should they choose to express one of those rights in unison, via the group, it does not change the fact that they are still individuals expressing their rights. The ability to do so is a right guaranteed by the 1st Amendment.
That's still denying three individuals their Constitutionally guaranteed rights. Including their right to free association.
YOU say "hosts=bad" (but they add security, speed, & reliability) & bitch on admin privelege to UPDATE vs. threats online:
"So, have you figured out why privilege escalation is a bad thing yet?" - by Coren22 on Tuesday September 22, 2015 @05:15PM (#50577809)
Hypocrite - You admit you use admin priv
&
How else could I programmatically update hosts minus it in Windows?
---
"Of course it requires elevation to write to the hosts file" - by Coren22 (1625475) on Wednesday September 23, 2015 @05:35PM (#50585879)
You FINALLY admit later there's no other way!
FACT:
Even MalwareBytes AntiMalware (best one) DEMANDS you use admin privelege (you saying it's "bad" too?) it can't do its job fully otherwise, like many security tools do!
---
Aryeh Goretsky NOD32/ESET says hosts = good security -> http://it.slashdot.org/comment...
Oliver Day (Symantec) does too -> http://www.securityfocus.com/c...
MalwareBytes' hpHosts hosts & recommends my APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit -> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl...
---
* HOW MANY SECURITY PROS MORE DO I NEED TO KNOCK THE CHOCOLATE OUTTA YOU?
---
Those security pros INCLUDE me: I work w/ those guys from malwarebytes' hpHosts on a regular basis!
I've professionally worked for decades as a combined domain-wide network admin & software engineer since 1994 (Even showing you HOW to migrate a hosts across an enterprise -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... )
I've also been securing computers + WRITING GUIDES using CIS Tool (who took fixes from me too - bonus) http://www.bing.com/search?q=%...
You told me you learn from guides? I write 'em (good ones) that MILLIONS USE & was PAID FOR IT http://pcpitstop.com/news/winn...
+ WARES TO PROTECT USERS that're endorsed & hosted by security pros -> http://start64.com/index.php?o...
You did all that? No & that's a small part of what I could put out.
APK
P.S.=> You're all TALK -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... & a "ne'er-do-well" as far as security
...apk
Yes we should ban the trains the Nazis used
Today's time-wasting-obtuseness award goes to you. Congratulations.
YOU say "hosts=bad" (but they add security, speed, & reliability) & bitch on admin privelege to UPDATE vs. threats:
"So, have you figured out why privilege escalation is a bad thing yet?" - by Coren22 on Tuesday September 22, 2015 @05:15PM (#50577809)
Hypocrite - You admit you use admin priv
&
How else can I programmatically update hosts minus it in Windows?
---
"Of course it requires elevation to write to the hosts file" - by Coren22 (1625475) on Wednesday September 23, 2015 @05:35PM (#50585879)
You FINALLY later admit there's no other way!
FACT:
Even MalwareBytes AntiMalware (best one) DEMANDS you use admin privelege (you saying it's "bad" too?) it can't do its job fully otherwise, like many security tools do!
---
Aryeh Goretsky NOD32/ESET says hosts = good security-> http://it.slashdot.org/comment...
Oliver Day (Symantec) does-> http://www.securityfocus.com/c...
MalwareBytes' hpHosts hosts & recommends my APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit-> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl...
---
* HOW MANY SECURITY PROS DO I NEED TO KNOCK THE CHOCOLATE OUTTA YOU?
---
Those security pros INCLUDE me: I work w/ guys from malwarebytes' hpHosts on a regular basis!
I've professionally worked for decades as a combined domain-wide network admin & software engineer since 1994 (Even showing you HOW to migrate a hosts across an enterprise-> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... )
I've also been securing computers + WRITING GUIDES using CIS Tool (who took fixes from me http://slashdot.org/comments.p... - bonus) http://www.bing.com/search?q=%...
You told me you learn from guides?
I write good ones that MILLIONS USE& was PAID FOR IT http://pcpitstop.com/news/winn...
+ WARES TO PROTECT USERS that are endorsed & hosted by security pros -> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl...
You did all that? No!
(& that's ONLY a SMALL part of what I could put out...)
APK
P.S.=> You're all TALK -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... & a "ne'er-do-well" as far as security...apk