The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Central Commission for Social Political and Legal Affairs (replacing "Central Social Work Department" for more accurate naming), the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration for Market Regulation have collectively released the 'Notice on Initiating a Special Operation to Combat Online Disarray in the Auto Industry.' These six departments have resolved to launch a three-month, nationwide special operation to address online disarray within the auto industry, commencing immediately. This move is in line with the directives from the State Council Executive Meeting, which emphasized the need to regulate the competitive landscape of the new energy vehicle sector. The operation will primarily target online misbehaviors, including illicit profit-making, exaggerated and misleading promotions (retaining "promotion" as it's a common term in marketing contexts, though "publicity" could also work), and malicious defamation and attacks.

Its goals are to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of managing online misconduct involving automotive firms, encourage companies to adhere to standardized marketing and promotional practices, foster a positive public opinion climate, and bolster the high-quality growth of the auto industry. The focal points of this operation encompass:

• Firstly, illicit profit-making activities, such as generating traffic through fabricated content, maliciously interpreting sales fluctuations, attacking corporate strategies, leveraging influence for false evaluations, coercing enterprises into partnerships, and employing technology to orchestrate 'online water armies' (a term referring to coordinated groups of online users who manipulate public opinion);
• Secondly, exaggerated and misleading promotions, including making false claims about vehicle performance, features, and quality, manipulating evaluation accounts to disseminate false data, or creating hype around topics through industry events;
• Thirdly, malicious defamation and attacks, such as tarnishing the reputation of competitors to stifle their growth, organizing 'online water armies' to spread false negative information, or corporate executives engaging in online 'trolling' to provoke conflicts.

Throughout the operation, relevant departments across various regions will facilitate self-inspections by enterprises, establish channels for reporting violations, lawfully shut down and expose accounts that breach regulations, and conduct thorough investigations into the public relations firms, marketing agencies, and other behind-the-scenes agent teams (using "agency" for clarity), as well as the enterprises that hire their services. This concerted effort aims to purify the industry's public opinion environment.