Sina Weibo – China’s Twitter equivalent – is to remove an online celebrity list following criticism by state media of celebrity culture on social media, the BBC reports. State-owned newspaper People’s Daily criticized platforms that make stars out of “unworthy individuals”. It did not specify any companies, but the article comes during a wider crackdown on online firms in China. Weibo said its decision was due to what it described as “irrational support” some fans were showing for celebrities. Earlier this week Economic Information Daily, also run by the state, hit out at games firms, saying that many teenagers had become addicted to online gaming. Weibo’s list ranked stars on the popularity of their social-media posts and the number of follows they received. One of China’s biggest celebrities, pop star Kris Wu, was arrested last weekend on suspicion of rape, accused of deceiving young women into having sex. He denies the allegations.
