Xin氧 Responds to Allegations of Unauthorized Drug Sales by Merchants: No Such Products Sold on Platform, Condemns Online 'Black Industry'
Today, The Beijing News published the article “SoYoung App Merchants Involved in Selling Banned Drugs; ‘Beauty Diaries’ Can Be Falsified,” which has been republished by multiple media outlets.
In the afternoon, So-Young issued an official response, stating that it had promptly established an internal investigation team. The investigation revealed that the prohibited drugs reported as being sold on the So-Young platform all originated from South Korean medical aesthetic institutions. Although these products have not been certified by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), they are legal in South Korea.
In response to Beijing Kairunting Medical Aesthetic Hospital’s unauthorized offline sale of prohibited drugs, SoYoung has removed the institution from its platform and will permanently terminate cooperation with any problematic institution once verified.
It is reported that the SoYoung app launched a “Scan Code to Verify Authenticity” service for pharmaceuticals early this year, with 6.92 million users having utilized this feature.
Regarding the industrial chain of fake cases, which includes services such as “managed operation of case accounts, fake engagement boosting, ghostwriting, and account management,” SoYoung stated that it has been continuously combating the “black market industry.” In 2018 alone, SoYoung banned 710,000 accounts involved in cheating and violations on its platform, deleted 150,000 fraudulent main posts, and removed 2.32 million fraudulent comments. The fabrication of “Beauty Diaries” is indeed a common enemy across the entire internet-based medical aesthetics industry.
SoYoung’s response is as follows:
Response to the Report by The Beijing News
Today, The Beijing News published a series of reports, including “SoYoung App Merchants Involved in Selling Prohibited Drugs, ‘Beauty Diaries’ Can Be Falsified.” First and foremost, SoYoung extends its gratitude to the media for their oversight and has immediately established an internal investigation team. Upon verification:
1. The report mentions that the So-Young platform contains introductions to prohibited drugs. Prior to media coverage, So-Young’s Aesthetic Medicine Information Encyclopedia had already issued clear warnings regarding products such as “Pink Toxin,” “Green Toxin,” and “White Toxin,” stating that these pharmaceuticals had not obtained certification from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). Furthermore, it explicitly noted that only two brands are legally approved in the domestic market: the domestically produced Lanzhou Hengli and the imported Botox. The comprehensive drug database hosted on the platform is intended precisely to alert consumers to the regulatory compliance of pharmaceutical products. The aesthetic medicine service items (SKUs) related to “Pink Toxin,” “Green Toxin,” and “White Toxin” listed on the platform are all sourced from South Korean medical aesthetic institutions, i.e., regions where the administration of these products is legally permitted.
II. The report mentioned that Beijing Kairunting Medical Aesthetic Hospital was privately selling prohibited drugs offline. The SoYoung platform strictly prohibits the listing of SKUs involving prohibited drugs. Although the institution did not list any SKUs for prohibited drugs on SoYoung, and its customer service representatives stated that no such procedures were available when consulted by reporters on the platform, SoYoung immediately delisted the involved institution in response to this incident. SoYoung will cooperate with regulatory authorities in the subsequent handling of the case and maintains a “zero-tolerance” policy toward institutions that cross safety red lines.
As an internet platform specializing in medical aesthetics, So-Young has always adhered to a red line: safeguarding consumers’ health and safety. To address the rampant issue of gray-market goods, counterfeits, and prohibited products in the industry, So-Young established the “Authentic Products Alliance” this March, launching four key initiatives: clinic original manufacturer certification, QR code-based drug authentication, tiered physician credentialing, and a medical aesthetics information encyclopedia.
3. In response to the black-market companies mentioned in the article that offer fake diary-writing services, the internal investigation team has immediately banned the relevant accounts and diaries. Like consumers, SoYoung maintains a “zero-tolerance” policy toward information that compromises authenticity and behaviors that undermine platform value. SoYoung employs a three-tier content review mechanism for user-generated content, including AI-based automatic keyword/image screening, manual review, and tagging of suspicious content with user alerts. Under this three-tier strategy, nearly one-third of diaries fail the platform’s review each day. In 2018 alone, SoYoung banned 710,000 accounts involved in cheating or prohibited activities, removed 150,000 non-compliant main posts, and deleted 2.32 million violating comments. Looking ahead, SoYoung will soon introduce facial recognition technology for medical aesthetics diaries, implementing cross-verification through users’ facial data and linked account information, as well as adding facial movement verification when users post video diaries, to further enhance the platform’s content moderation capabilities.
“The black market industry” is a malignant tumor of China’s internet; all e-commerce and community platforms have suffered deeply from it. The fabrication of “Beautiful Diary” entries by this illicit sector has made it the common enemy of the entire medical aesthetics internet industry. Combating the “black market industry” has been SoYoung’s long-standing and unwavering commitment. We appreciate the oversight provided by consumers, media, and all sectors of society. In safeguarding consumer safety and health, we still have a long and arduous journey ahead.
Beijing So-Young Technology Co., Ltd.
July 15, 2019