WeChat

China’s new parental subsidy program (¥3,600 annually per child under three) is set to launch in 2025. However, scammers are already exploiting the initiative, using deceptive tactics on social media to lure parents with fake notifications. WeChat warns against clicking suspicious links or downloading files from unsolicited messages, as they may contain malware granting remote access for data theft. Official application portals will be available in late August; verify information through official government channels.

Gree Electric Appliances quickly reverted its official WeChat service account name from “Gree Goodies Guide” back to “Dong Mingzhu Healthy Home” after just one day. This follows Gree’s strategic aim to transition its mini-program to “Dong Mingzhu Healthy Home”, circumventing WeChat’s policy against duplicate names. The public account needed to release the name for the new online storefront. This marks the fourth name change in just over a year, potentially reflecting an evolving branding strategy.

Gree Electric’s WeChat account renaming sparked speculation, but the change is related to launching an online “Dong Mingzhu Healthy Home” store. Tencent’s naming policies necessitated the shift. This follows the success of “Dong Mingzhu Healthy Home,” leveraging Dong Mingzhu’s personal brand to boost market awareness and validate Gree’s brand strategy. Gree plans to establish 10,000 such stores nationwide. Dong Mingzhu emphasizes her contribution to Gree’s success.

WeChat has issued a security alert regarding a surge in account hijackings targeting Official Account users. Attackers are reportedly compromising corporate registration information, including legal representative details, to gain unauthorized account access. WeChat has suspended the “account recovery via legal representative information” feature for vulnerable accounts and is notifying users of potential compromises. Users are advised to monitor their corporate registrations and report suspicious activity to local authorities. WeChat is committed to enhancing risk management and collaborating with authorities to combat these threats.

Tencent’s WeChat has again addressed the recurrent user demand for a “read receipt” feature. The company reiterated that it has never implemented this function and has no plans to do so. This decision is intentional, aiming to grant users autonomy over their responses and avoid potential social pressure and anxiety linked to immediate reply expectations after a message is marked as “read.” WeChat prioritizes user comfort over sender confirmation.

WeChat warns of a new online shopping scam where buyers receive incorrect items. Scammers provide QR codes for “customer service,” leading to phishing attempts. Victims are lured into downloading apps and transferring funds through promises of compensation or task rewards. WeChat advises using official platform customer service for after-sales issues and cautions against trusting excessive compensation offers or prepayment requests.

WeChat has updated its withdrawal fee structure, lowering the minimum fee threshold to 0.01 yuan (approximately $0.0014 USD) as of July 25th. Previously, a 0.1 yuan minimum applied after a cumulative 1,000 yuan fee-free withdrawal allowance was exceeded. Now, fees below 0.01 yuan are rounded up, but withdrawals of 0.01 yuan or less are exempt, benefitting users with small balances.

By CNBC AI News, July 8 – WeChat Coral Safe, the content moderation arm of Tencent&#…

Rumors of new WeChat features like read receipts and visitor logs for Moments have sparked user speculation and concern. Publicly responding to the buzz, Tencent’s PR director, Zhang Jun, denied the features’ potential implementation, citing concerns about social pressure and privacy. He has consistently dismissed the rumors, reiterating WeChat’s commitment against implementing such functionalities, which parallels discussions from previous years.

WeChat’s HarmonyOS version 1.0.6.41 introduces chat-based viewing/receiving notes and expands biometric payment verification via facial recognition and fingerprint scanning. With 4 million installations reported since January (15% monthly growth), the update aligns Tencent’s security protocols with iOS/Android standards while leveraging native HarmonyOS advantages. Cross-device synchronization and night mode features remain fully functional amid incremental biometric rollouts prioritizing financial safety. Developers emphasize phased deployment timelines tied to compliance frameworks.