Xiaomi violated Chinese advertising law with superlatives

MUMBAI, INDIA: In a first of sorts, Chinese smart phone vendor Xiaomi is under investigation for alleged violation of China's new advertising law.

The law prohibits use of superlative adjectives for promoting products, as per the Chinese media. Xiaomi is the first Internet enterprise to be probed after the law became effective on September 1, according to the reports.

The revised legislation is intended to protect consumers from advertisements which overplay and exaggerate product features.

The Haidian branch of the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce said in a statement that its behavior could violate the country's new advertising law which bans enterprises from using superlative adjectives, including the most advanced, in promotions.

Further quoting the statement, the new reports said law-enforcement staff had found evidence of suspect behavior on Xiaomi's official website after receiving a tip-off from a whistle blower.

One report in China Daily that quoted the Securities Daily said that the industry regulators have initiated an investigation into the Beijing-based handset maker on suspicion of using phrases like the best to describe its products online.

Zhu Dalin, an analyst at Beijing-based Internet consultancy firm, Analysys International, said it is common for hardware manufacturers to resort to superlative adjectives in product promotion.

"The new law will have a certain impact on Internet companies. but not too much-after all, consumers are so accustomed to clichés such as the super phone and the omnipotent TV that these phrases make no real sense to them now,” Zhu said.

Officials from Xiaomi and Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce were unavailable for comment, the Chinese media reported.