(ECNS) -- The wildly popular social media app WeChat developed by Tencent has updated its system again to fight false clicks, dealing a heavy blow to accounts that once claimed to have massive readership.
WeChat's move came after a series of false clicks, as influential public accounts on WeChat with subscriber numbers exceeding 100,000 each day could attract big investment.
On Alibaba's e-commerce website taobao.com, hundreds of sellers provide services offering to increase the number of clicks and subscribers on WeChat.
A public account can increase its readership to more than 100,000 at a cost of 5,000 yuan ($750). The influential account usually charge 50,000 to 100,000 yuan for embedded advertisements or endorsements, thus forming an industry chain.
To prevent false clicks, WeChat upgraded its system on Sept. 28, causing the number of readers on some influential public accounts to plummet.
In future, the app will not display precise views for stories with more than 100,000 pageviews, Tencent said.
