Controversies

Zhihu Yanxuan membership accused of long-term auto-renewal without users' knowledge

In March 2022, Sina Tech and other media reported that many users complained that Zhihu Yanxuan membership had been automatically renewed and charged for a long time without clear reminders; some users discovered only months or even years later and encountered obstacles when seeking refunds, drawing criticism that it was “making a fortune quietly.” The report cited the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Online Transactions, saying platforms should remind users prominently before auto-renewal and must not treat users' non-response as consent; violators may be ordered to correct and fined between 5,000 and 30,000 yuan. Impact and handling: no public information was seen of regulators imposing a penalty on Zhihu. Status: media report. Subject: Beijing Zhizhe Tianxia Technology Co., Ltd. (Zhihu). Scope: Zhihu Yanxuan membership auto-renewal.