The latest issue of East Weekly has revealed exclusively that TVB, aiming to strengthen its management of artists' images and control online risks, has recently launched a “tough measure”—all artists are now required to hand over their personal social media platform accounts (including IG, Facebook, Xiaohongshu, etc.) and passwords to the company for “centralized supervision.” The move seeks to standardize content management, ensure messages are appropriate, and align with the company's new “Artist Creator Network” (ACN) business strategy to prevent any online missteps that could offend the Chinese market or trigger public relations crises. The new policy further states that even after an artist’s contract has ended, their social media accounts will remain under TVB's control for one year, ensuring the company's prior investments are not lost. This policy has sparked an uproar among artists, with many upset about the invasion of privacy, fearing their personal lives will be entirely monitored and sincere interactions with fans will become artificial.
Among the many artists, four up-and-coming young stars have chosen to openly “defy” the directive: TV King Owen Cheung (Zhang Zhenlang), multi-talented artist Joey Thye (Dai Zuyi), and the “A0 Goddess” Regina Ho (Guo Boyan) and Yoyo Kot (You Jiaxin). They believe that social media platforms are personal assets built over years of hard work and act as a direct communication bridge with fans, and are unwilling to give them up so easily.
However, the cost of defiance surfaced quickly. Regina Ho and Yoyo Kot, who were hot favorites on the variety show “Girls with Magical Voices,” were both eliminated to public surprise after refusing to sign the new policy; and Owen Cheung, whose popularity in China has surged in recent years, has reportedly had several business negotiations temporarily shelved, leaving his career at a crossroads. #
News sources: East Weekly + Sing Tao Headline