Kuaishou, one of the foremost short-video and livestreaming platforms in China and a leading competitor to Douyin—the Chinese variant of TikTok—fell victim to a cyberattack on Monday night that caused widespread dissemination of pornographic and violent material. Beginning around 10 p.m. local time, the platform’s livestreaming service was disrupted for roughly an hour and a half as thousands of inappropriate videos were broadcasted, creating shockwaves among its extensive user base estimated at over 416 million daily active accounts.
Users took to Weibo, China's dominant social media network, to express their astonishment and dissatisfaction. Comments such as "What happened to Kuaishou? Every livestream I open is filled with pornographic content," reflected widespread user distress. Another user lamented, "Kuaishou seems to have lost control. My eyes can't take it anymore." These reactions underscored the suddenness and severity of the breach in a country known for stringent internet oversight.
In an official statement released on the following day, Kuaishou attributed the attack to "underground and gray industries," indicating involvement by illicit or semi-legal entities that manipulate online channels for unlawful gain. The company confirmed it had filed a police report regarding the incident and reported that its platform functions were gradually returning to normal.
China operates one of the world's most rigorous systems for online content censorship. Strict controls govern users’ access to information and ensure rapid removal of illicit material. Pornography, in particular, is banned under Chinese law, and entry to numerous foreign websites is blocked through the Great Firewall. Despite these measures—including mandatory real-name verification mechanisms—cyberattacks remain a persistent challenge in the nation’s digital landscape.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) highlighted this concern in remarks accompanying new regulations introduced in September. These rules require online platforms to promptly report security breaches in detail to authorities, reflecting the growing threat posed by cyber threats. The CAC noted the escalation in cyberattack volume and malware transmissions, pointing to an average of over 3.49 million daily infection attempts nationwide.
At present, no group or individual has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the assault on Kuaishou. However, a report by state media outlet China Daily cited findings from the Chinese cybersecurity firm QAX, describing the attack as AI-powered. According to QAX, the perpetrators bypassed existing security barriers, accessed user data, and utilized approximately 17,000 bot accounts to propagate sexual and violent content rapidly, temporarily crippling Kuaishou’s livestream service.
Kuaishou, publicly traded on the Hong Kong stock exchange, saw its shares decline sharply—dropping up to 6% in initial trading sessions following the incident. The platform trails Douyin as China's second-largest short-video app, reflecting the significant reach and impact of this security breach.
Cybersecurity expert Wang Liejun, affiliated with QAX, attributed the extent of disruption to the automation techniques used by attackers. Unlike conventional, manually managed defense systems that many platforms still depend upon, today's attackers employ sophisticated tools to automatically create vast numbers of fake accounts and coordinate botnets. This capability enables a flood of prohibited content within seconds, overwhelming manual content review processes. Wang underscored these limitations in an interview with The Paper, a state media outlet.
The incident unfolded against a backdrop of legislative developments concerning the management of "obscene content" on the internet. Recently amended regulations, slated for enforcement in the coming year, aim to impose stricter restrictions and heightened penalties for disseminating pornographic material online. Some media reports stirred public controversy by suggesting that even forwarding such content privately—to friends or spouses—might be criminalized. These claims generated significant public backlash and fueled extensive online debate.
Notably, there is no indication linking the Kuaishou cyberattack to this legislative amendment. In response to confusion and concern, the state broadcaster CCTV issued clarifications stating that the idea that "sending obscene photos to friends constitutes a crime" represents a misunderstanding of the law. Legal experts cited by CCTV, including attorney Yue Shenshan of Beijing Yuecheng Law Firm, explained that while distributing obscene content to friends was technically illegal under prior statutes, in practice, such private acts are typically not prosecuted absent a complaint.
Furthermore, influential commentator Hu Xijin publicly voiced opposition to the prospective penalization of private exchanges containing sexual content, particularly ambiguous or suggestive material. In his Weibo posts, Hu emphasized that wholesale eradication of all sexual content at the grassroots social governance level is questionable and cautioned against overly stringent controls on such communications.