(ECNS) - More than 60 percent polled are against forceful Internet fundraising campaigns, while 55.5 percent say they have been persuaded to donate on Twitter-like Weibo, a survey by the Beijing News shows.
Technically, individuals or organizations can send a user a private message or mention their name in a public tweet on Weibo, unless the user has previously chosen to block them.
Weibo has been an effective fundraising platform for many individuals in difficulty, but problems have also arisen amid its popularity in recent years.
According to the survey results, 63.2 percent say they have felt hijacked by a moral obligation to donate, and that their privacy has been violated after receiving donation requests or having their names mentioned in a public appeal for help. Only five percent say they are always ready to donate.
The charity arm of China's leading portal Sina, gongyi.sina.com.cn, says it has received hundreds of complaints from users bothered by calls for donations from the New Sunshine Charity Foundation.
Sina has stopped the Beijing-based foundation from initiating new charity projects after an investigation showed it had abused Weibo.
Zhang Ruwei, the operation manager of gongyi.sina.com.cn, says Sina has agreements with over 100 foundations allowing them to fundraise on the platform.
Sina has improved the donation system and also allows users to report harassment by charity organizations.
Chu Ying, a teacher with the School of Public Administration at South China Normal University, says Weibo and WeChat, a popular social networking app, have made it easier to raise funds, but organizers need to be careful with the method and users should also be aware of fraudsters.
