A man known as "Brother Ze" has become the embodiment of justice after a video went viral of him helping a woman who claimed she was blackmailed by a man who had gained access to her private photos.
In the video, a purported reconstruction of events, the man obtained the photos when he repaired the woman's computer for her at her home, the woman tells Brother Ze.
The woman in the video manages to lure the blackmailer to her home, Brother Ze then violently beats him and forces him to return the 20,000 yuan that he had extorted from the woman.
Similar videos featuring violent acts of retribution have been widely circulated on Chinese social media platforms recently, including Weibo and Wechat. The videos are often headlined with eye-catching keywords, quickly grabbing massive numbers of clicks.
Such videos usually begin with "victims of injustice" recounting their experiences, and continue with so-called saviors getting revenge for them, mainly through violent means - some videos have featured the perpetrators of these injustices having their heads beaten with wine bottles, or in one extreme case, being forced to eat excrement.
These videos have prompted experts to warn against the glorification of violence, as it could exacerbate fragmentation in society and have a particularly harmful effect in cyberspace.
Brand of justice
Despite containing violence, the videos brand themselves with noble-sounding keywords, such as "justice and "positive energy." They even post slogans on their WeChat accounts - "Justice might come late, but it will show up eventually!"
For the people who post these videos, violence is a justifiable means of dealing with unfairness.
One Wechat account which compiles videos from various other accounts writes on its main page that "for human beings, there is one thing brings us success apart from power, money, reputation and violence. That is justice."
It continues, "If we have justice, man can demonstrate his potential… we should strive for justice and fill the world with love…if society has no justice, it would be bitter."
Typing in a keyword such as "strike" (chuji in Chinese) on Wechat will bring up videos on different Wechat accounts, mainly personal ones, but some that belong to media companies.
Most of the videos on these accounts have received more than 100,000 views. The account "huobaozege," for example, has published 18 such videos, each of which have been viewed up to 100,000 times, The Beijing News reported.
The videos contain violence and are shot in a hand-held documentary-style, with the faces of participants blurred to protect their identities. The way they are shot easily leads viewers to believe the content is real.
When The Beijing News reporter contacted staff from "huobaozege," they said the videos were aimed at men and they were not worried that it would be censored. "It won't be blocked as long as it doesn't contain pornography," one staff member said.
As of Tuesday, WeChat told the Global Times that it has removed more than 600 accounts for posting violent and vulgar content.
Life pressures
Cyberspace is a reflection of society, and the appearance of videos spreading violence is understandable, said Qin An, director of the China Institute of Cyberspace Strategy.
He adds that it's easy for online content to be misused by irresponsible net users and people who are looking to make trouble.
The State will continue to strengthen its efforts to govern cyberspace, and efforts to spread positive energy among netizens are necessary, Qin told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Spreading violent content online reflects the huge pressures on Chinese netizens and divisions within society, Wang Sixin, a law professor at the Communication University of China, told the Global Times.
Despite being emotional and irrational, such content is psychologically satisfying for many people, and Wang believes this is why these videos are able to receive such large numbers of clicks.
A 26-year-old net user surnamed Meng told the Global Times, "I believe these videos are half-real half-fake, but I enjoy them. They are like Hong Kong gangster movies."
A Weibo user "heinideyanhuo" posted, "I'm fascinated by these videos. It would be good if every city has such righteous brothers. I hope there will be a justice revolution."
Although many of these accounts and videos featuring violent content have been removed, the related headlines are still accessible to the public and many account owners post the content again through new accounts, the Global Times found.
Wang suggested that social media platforms report the people behind the account to the police.
