JM Review | On ‘315’: The Ethical Dilemmas of China’s Internet Enterprises

By Jointing.Media, in Hangzhou, 2025-03-15

Many internet companies claim to uphold “user-first” as a core value, yet in practice, they frequently sacrifice user rights for short-term gains. For instance, certain social platforms tolerate the spread of misinformation and vulgar content to attract users and boost traffic, even deploying algorithms to keep users addicted, squandering their time and energy. E-commerce platforms turn a blind eye to merchants’ false advertising and counterfeit products—or even collude with them—to deceive consumers and drive sales. Financial technology firms, under the banner of innovation, peddle high-risk, high-return investment products to lure users, only to evade responsibility when risks materialize, leaving investors in financial ruin. Such practices, though framed as profit-maximization strategies, ultimately expose a void in corporate values. These companies chant “user-first” as a slogan but operate by a “profit-first” playbook. This misalignment of values leads enterprises astray, harming not only users but also their own reputation and long-term interests.

As pillars of commercial civilization, corporate value systems are rooted in cultural DNA and the founder’s ethical blueprint. Corporate culture—an organization’s “spiritual code”—not only dictates strategic choices and behavioral norms but also bears the social responsibility of guiding technological ethics in the digital age. A founder’s values, serving as the moral compass for growth, shape strategic decisions, institutional frameworks, and cultural evolution, ultimately forging a value system reflective of its era.

AI technology is reshaping the foundational logic of information production and dissemination. Some companies exploit algorithmic black boxes to cultivate ecosystems of misinformation, flooding platforms with AI-generated fake reviews and recommendations to construct profit-driven virtual realities. This technological alienation distorts market mechanisms and erodes the bedrock of trust in the digital era.

Confronting these ethical challenges, China is accelerating its AI governance framework. The Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services, enacted on August 15, 2023, established initial guidelines for AI-generated content. Further, the Labeling Measures for AI-Generated and Synthetic Content, set to take effect on September 1, 2025, mandates explicit labeling of AI-produced materials to curb misinformation.

Corporate malpractice stems from the tension between human nature, profit motives, and accountability. At the intersection of technology and commerce, “ethical tech” has become the litmus test for corporate values. As digital productivity breaches traditional ethical boundaries, corporate decision-making transcends mere commercial rivalry, evolving into a social contract for the digital age. Only by embedding user rights into the DNA of innovation and prioritizing social responsibility in algorithmic design can businesses achieve symbiotic growth of commercial and societal value. This is the historic imperative facing enterprises in the technological revolution—and an indispensable crucible for the maturation of digital civilization.

（DeepSeek also contributed to this article)

Edited by Jas

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