Chinese web users have been arrested for allegedly defaming a cultural icon on the country’s Twitter-like site Sina Weibo.
Four people are reported to have been arrested, with authorities claiming they "incited dissatisfaction with the government" by spreading rumours about soldier Lei Feng, who died aged 22 and who is held up as a model citizen.
Prosecutors claim those arrested had been profiting from the rumours, which allege Feng led a life of luxury, at odds with the traits of modesty and selflessness for which he is celebrated in the country.
The website has around 500m users in the country, and includes famous names like Robert Downey Jr and Paris Hilton.
The state grouped together some of Sina Weibo’s most popular celebrities earlier this month to discuss "seven minimums" of behaviour on the social network.
According to the government mouthpiece, People’s Daily: "Everyone agreed that internet celebrities should take on additional social responsibilities [so] the group reached a common agreement to protect "seven minimums".
"The first is the legal minimum, the second is the socialist minimum, the third is national interest minimum, the fourth is the lawful citizens’ interests minimum, the fifth is the public order minimum, the sixth is the moral traditions minimum, and the seventh is the accurate information minimum."
Techinasia.com reported that while the vague standards appear to be widely supported by the web community, it is hard to tell how much of that support comes from paid ‘opinion managers’.
