Pop star Xiao Zhan inadvertently got the award-winning fanfiction site The Archive of Our Own (AO3) blocked in China, after his fans reported a story featuring their idol as a cross-dressing prostitute to cyber-authorities.

Due to inconsistent laws defining defamatory language, it has become common for public figures to protest defamation on social media by so-called“anti-fans,” occasionally with lawsuits. The Beijing Internet Court stated that around 28 percent of civil tort cases it received in 2019 were related to“reputation rights,” and they often start with primarily college-aged fans who show support for their idols by insulting rival celebrities online.

The overreaction of Xiao’s fans, though, followed by a lackluster apology from the star, was viewed as inappropriate by netizens, who have called for a boycott of brands endorsed by Xiao. “It scares me how a subculture can be destroyed by a simple tip-off from fans,” wrote one supporter of the boycott on Zhihu. “I want to protect…our freedom to create.” - YANG TINGTING (楊婷婷)