The 36th "3·15" Gala by China Central Television, themed "Assured Consumption, Quality Living," focused on illegal activities that infringe upon consumer rights across various sectors, including food safety, public safety, financial security, and advertising markets.
First, an investigation in the popular chicken feet market of the Sichuan-Chongqing region revealed that reporters easily entered the production workshop of Chengdu Mingyang Food without health certificates, medical checks, or sanitation protocols. This facility conducts preliminary processing for Shufuxiang Food Co., Ltd. The processing area reeked of a pungent, foul odor, with dirty, stagnant water on the floor, disordered plastic crates, and heavily soiled machinery. Chicken feet were piled directly on the damp, filthy ground; even when stepped on, workers simply picked them up and returned them to processing crates, disregarding food safety entirely. A key "bleaching" step involved using hydrogen peroxide, which is prohibited in chicken feet processing due to its destruction of nutrients and potential health risks like mucosal damage and organ harm with long-term consumption.
Second, the popular cosmetic product "exosomes," marketed as a miracle treatment, lacks national approval, clinical trials, or efficacy data. A product named "Qingcheng," produced by Haolin (Tianjin) Biotechnology Co., Ltd., falsely used a collagen license to evade regulation. Another company, Jiebosai'er Biotechnology, claimed to treat conditions like epilepsy with exosomes but offered unlabeled, unverified solutions. Consumers reported severe infections, allergies, and no effects after use, highlighting the dangers of these unregulated products.
Third, height-increasing institutions like "Anlishen Youth Physical Height Increase" and "Dejirui Youth Physical Height Increase" lure parents with promises of guaranteed results and refunds. Investigations found that these businesses exploit natural growth, with one admitting, "Children grow anyway; we just don’t tell parents that." Dejirui even claimed to increase height in adults by "straightening bones," not actual growth. Yingruike Height and Constitution Center promoted unscientific "closed growth" using "quantum repair" and psychological therapy but admitted to having no medical data, focusing solely on profit. These chains have expanded rapidly, with Dejirui operating over 70 stores and Anlishen over 60.
Fourth, private marketing schemes target the elderly using fabricated "experts." Companies like Shengwei Culture Media produce health seminar videos featuring actors with bought titles like "traditional medicine masters." These videos, sold to marketing firms, promote drugs and supplements at nearly five times the cost, with exaggerated claims. Sellers advised waiting until after the "315 Gala" to avoid scrutiny, calling it an "industry benchmark."
Fifth, rental electric bicycles illegally exceed national speed limits. Despite regulations capping speeds at 25 km/h, vendors in live streams boast of speeds up to 60 km/h. A rented bike reached 80 km/h in tests. Major brands like Hello Rent E-Bike also violate standards, with staff admitting speeds of 75 km/h. Distributors exploit loopholes, using electric motorcycles with fake bicycle licenses bought cheaply in bulk.
Sixth, a "GEO" service industry manipulates AI models by "poisoning" them with promotional content. Providers like "Liqing GEO Optimization System" charge fees to ensure clients' products appear as top AI recommendations. By generating and spreading fabricated soft articles, they trick AI into prioritizing fake products, such as a fictional smart bracelet, in search results. This data "poisoning" relies on continuous input of promotional material to maintain rankings.
Seventh, fake stock recommendation services, like those by "Tianshun Investment," lure investors with "profit-sharing" schemes. These operations, often run by unqualified entities like Xinbenke Information Consulting, use scripted calls to push randomly selected stocks. If stocks rise, they take a cut; if they fall, they disappear. One manager admitted indifference to client losses, revealing that "research-based picks" are merely the owner’s arbitrary choices, creating a scam where the firm always profits from successful trades while abandoning losers.
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