SINGAPORE: When Xiao first walked out of prison in August, after spending nearly a decade behind bars – he had no money, no job and little idea of how the world outside might have changed.
But the 42-year-old former banker from Liaoning province, who was convicted of embezzlement in 2017, soon found himself on an unlikely path: Becoming a Chinese livestreaming star.
Xiao’s full name was never revealed but he is part of a wave of former inmates who have reinvented themselves online, turning their prison stories into viral content.
Thousands of users on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, joined Xiao’s livestreams where he would discuss and share his experiences in prison.
His presence on the site rose quickly and within days, he had built an audience of more than 37,000 followers before the account was deleted.
“When I (was released), I had nothing to my name,” Xiao said during a livestream session on Aug 26, which marked his 20th day of freedom.
“For eight years, I sat in front of a sewing machine every day,” Xiao said of his daily prison duties.
“Other than eating my meals and going to the toilet, I did not leave my work station once,” he added.
SHARING ONE’S PAST OR “GLORYIFYING” CRIME?
For tricking clients into investing in fake wealth management products worth more than 2.7 billion yuan (US$376 million) during his time at China Minsheng Bank, Xiao was jailed nine years and fined 90,000 yuan.
His Douyin account has since been shut down, with all posts and past livestreams removed.
On Aug 26, the platform said Xiao’s account had come under official review and was found to have used his prison experience to gain attention – violating its rules.
He was then banned from the site.
There are no explicit rules barring former inmates from using social media or e-commerce platforms but their growing presence has drawn ire – with state media outlets criticising some for “glorifying” their crimes to gain clicks and attention.
In a commentary published on Aug 27, the People’s Daily state newspaper said some former prisoners had been exploiting their criminal pasts as “content” to catch eyeballs, which glorified “illegal behaviour” and exploited curiosity for internet traffic.
Such actions also crossed legal boundaries and undermined public order, it added.
“This may not only cause secondary harm to victims, but it also conveys the wrong message that ‘negative fame is still fame’ to society.”
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/china-ex-convict-influencers-viral-controversy-crime-5351276
