Have you seen a Xiaomi smartphone? Are they the best? Well, the Chinese company apparently said its devices are the best in an advertisement on its website and that has landed the company on trouble.
According to a report from China’s Securities Daily, A leaked Beijing Ministry of Industry and Commerce document says the Ministry will investigate claims that Xiaomi used the term “best” on its website to describe a product, thereby violating China’s new ad law.
The new ad law, which has been in effect since September 1, sets stricter boundaries for all kinds of advertising, including online ads.
The law also expressly prohibits the use of superlatives such as “best” in advertisements, with penalties starting from a fine of $31,000 for violators of the law.
Beijing officials were alerted to the ad by CEO of rival Chinese smartphone maker Cong (Scallion Smartphones in Chinese), Tan Wensheng, who has been very open about him reporting Xiaomi to the Beijing authorities.