Lawsuit against online 'rumors' a wake-up call

KFC, a fast food chain under the United States-based Yum Brands Inc, confirmed on Monday that it has filed lawsuits against 10 public online accounts of three Chinese companies that allegedly "spread rumors" about its food quality. It said that by the end of April, there were more than 4,000 postings defaming KFC on a number of WeChat accounts, which have been viewed by over 100,000 users. It asked for not only an immediate halt to the online comments and an apology, but also a total sum of 3.5 million yuan ($564,500) in compensation from the three defendants. Comments:

KFC's plea for its legitimate rights and interests should be adopted as a routine practice in a society featuring the rule of law, to properly manage the market-oriented economy. Also, all netizens must make sure their online posts on social networks do not violate the law. To be specific, they should distinguish truths from rumors and not repost fabrications.

China Youth Daily, June 3