WeChat external link regulations have been updated: These behaviors are not allowed

WeChat recently announced that it will upgrade the "WeChat External Link Content Management Specifications". The new version of the specifications will be officially put into use on October 28.

The following are the main changes in this specification upgrade:

1. Illegal use of user avatars is not allowed.

Some external links pull user avatars through marketing activities and perform secondary processing. In the new version of the specification, WeChat further clarifies the specifications for using WeChat avatars in external links, giving users the right to choose.

11.4 In addition to identifying the user's identity, any external link is prohibited from using the information identifying the user's identity obtained through authorization (including but not limited to avatars, nicknames, etc.) for other purposes, such as directly using such information as secondary processing materials after obtaining authorization; directly using the pulled user avatars and nicknames in the name of helping users modify, beautify, and process avatars and nicknames.

2. Inducing or misleading downloads/jumps is not allowed

The "download XX to get XX" scam is not uncommon. When you click on a link sent by a friend, you may think you can get a reward directly, but you don't expect to need to download an app or jump. This behavior will be strictly prohibited in the future.

3. Content that induces or misleads downloads/jumps

3.1 The monetary rewards, physical prizes, virtual prizes (including but not limited to red envelopes, coupons, vouchers, points, phone bills, data traffic, information) and other benefits explicitly or implicitly indicated in the external links cannot be obtained by users within WeChat, but require users to download or jump to external apps, or require users to leave WeChat, download specific content or complete specific operations to obtain them;

3.2 The titles, page texts, button instructions, text prompts, etc. of the external link content are inconsistent with the actual effects achieved, causing misunderstandings or misleading clicks by users, resulting in users downloading or jumping to external APPs. For example, after clicking on a news title, clicking on "Expand full text", clicking on "Continue listening", or clicking on "Receive red envelope", users are directly redirected to an external APP or download page.

3. Illegal activities such as friend assistance, acceleration, bargaining, task collection, etc. are not allowed.

"Get a discount", "Help me speed up"... These behaviors promoted by Pinduoduo are no longer allowed on WeChat. External link violations such as friend support, acceleration, price cuts, and task collection have been regulated.

1.2 Inducing users to share and disseminate external link content through the temptation of benefits, including but not limited to: using monetary rewards, physical prizes, virtual prizes (including but not limited to red envelopes, coupons, vouchers, points, phone bills, traffic, information); claiming that sharing can increase the chance of winning a prize, the probability of winning, and the possibility of success; inducing users to share and disseminate external link content through signing in, inviting friends to assist (including but not limited to helping, bargaining, and speeding up), setting collection tasks (including but not limited to collecting likes, collecting cards, collecting blessings, and collecting fragments);

4. Illegal group buying is not allowed

Group buying has become a common shopping method on the Internet, but some illegal group buying activities often contain hidden "secrets". Those involving falsehoods, fraud, lottery-like nature, unclear rules, etc. will be rejected.

4.1 Fake group buying activities, such as all or some group buying participants do not need to pay, or the amount paid by some group buying participants is obviously not equal to that of other participants;

4.2 Fraudulent group buying activities, such as the value of the physical or virtual items obtained by all or part of the group buying participants through group buying is obviously lower than the consideration paid by the user;

4.3 Group buying activities with the nature of a lottery, such as the quantity, quality, value, etc. of the physical or virtual items obtained by group buying participants are obviously not equal;

4.4 Group buying activities do not have clear and explicit rules, or the rules are not prominently disclosed to users, which may mislead users to participate in group buying or make payments. For example, if the activity rules stipulate that if a user fails to join a group buying activity, the fees paid will not be refunded, but the activity rules are not prominently disclosed to users;

WeChat emphasized that it will adopt a tiered punishment system for illegal external connections. After the first violation is corrected, you can apply for unblocking. For repeated, serious or multiple violations, as well as malicious confrontation after the violation, the maintenance committee will adopt different degrees of tiered punishment measures.

Full text of WeChat External Link Content Management Specifications:

http://weixin.qq.com/cgi-bin/readtemplate?t=weixin_external_links_content_management_specification