(ECNS) - Chinese short-video startup Ergeng has dismissed a senior manager and permanently closed its social media account amid outcries over a sensational post it published about the victim killed by a Didi Chuxing driver.
The event came after a 21-year-old flight attendant, identified by police only by her surname Li, was killed after ordering a Didi Chuxing ride home on May 6.
Ergeng Shitang (Midnight canteen in English), a social media arm of Ergeng, then published a post on May 11 on WeChat, the popular social media app, stirring up revulsion by providing improper descriptions of the victim.
On May 12, cyberspace authorities in Zhejiang Province and Hangzhou City demanded the social media account to clear out the low-taste information and punish those responsible. The account was subsequently closed for seven days.
In the latest development, Ding Feng, founder of Ergeng, said Ergeng Shitang made a terrible mistake and had an extremely bad influence.
“The team had problems in their values and content management,” said Ding in his apology letter posted online.
He said Ergeng purchased a WeChat account about women and emotional problems two years ago and renamed it Ergeng Shitang, turning it into a social media outlet.
Li Ming, founder of Ergeng Shitang, no longer has a position at the company and all accounts on other social media platforms will be shut down, according to Ding.
Ding vowed to improve management and job training to ensure positive content inline with current values.
