China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR, 市场监管总局) published seven typical cases of advertising that broke rules on content orientation (导向) on 13 October 2026. The largest fine, RMB 800,000, went to the advertiser of a Dettol (滴露) laundry disinfectant video. In this article, we look at the national enforcement figures, the seven cases and the rules SAMR cited.
Regulators handled 33,754 advertising cases in Q1–Q3 2026
According to SAMR, market regulators across China dealt with 33,754 illegal advertising cases in the first three quarters of 2026. Fines and confiscations totalled RMB 165 million.
In 2026 SAMR ran two campaigns: one on orientation problems in outdoor advertising (户外广告导向问题专项治理) and one on vulgar advertising (低俗广告专项清理整治). It said it had pushed major internet platforms to block or remove 175,000 pieces of non-compliant material. The platforms are not named.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Issuing body | State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局) |
| Document | 市场监管总局公布7起涉导向违法广告典型案例 |
| Document number | None; a news release of enforcement cases |
| Issue date | 13 October 2026 |
| Effective date | Not applicable; penalties were issued between February and September 2026 |
| Legal basis cited | Advertising Law of the PRC (广告法), “relevant provisions”; no article numbers given |
| Scope | Advertisers and advertising operators in Shanghai, Guangdong, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Heilongjiang |
A Dettol laundry disinfectant video drew fines totalling RMB 1.065 million
In Shanghai, the advertiser Shanghai Manlun Trading (上海曼伦商贸有限公司) and the advertising operator Guangxi Shunshi Information Technology (广西瞬视信息科技有限公司) jointly made and published a video for Dettol laundry disinfectant. SAMR said the video objectified women.
The rules cited bar sexual discrimination and content that harms public order or good social customs. In September 2026, Manlun was fined RMB 800,000 and Shunshi received fines and confiscations totalling RMB 265,000. The combined RMB 1.065 million is a CMB sum.
A Shuke tooth-strip video and a food livestream were fined for vulgar wording
Guangzhou Tangshiyi Trading (广州唐十一商贸有限公司) made its own promotional video for Shuke (舒客) tooth strips containing vulgar, suggestive wording. It was fined RMB 500,000 in September 2026.
Tianjin Baiyi E-commerce (天津市佰意电子商务有限责任公司) advertised ordinary food in a livestream using vulgar, borderline language. It was fined RMB 450,000 in May 2026. SAMR does not name the livestream platform.
A bar’s AI-generated nurse images led to a RMB 300,000 fine
Quzhou Aipaike Bar (衢州爱派客酒吧有限公司) in Zhejiang used AI to generate marketing images that presented nurses in a vulgar way, alongside holiday and “uniform party” wording. It was fined RMB 300,000 in June 2026.
The other three cases involved a Nanjing fresh-food trader that used a government body’s name and the national emblem in investment adverts (RMB 280,000), and a Harbin petrol station that tied fuel discounts to Army Day (建军节) on a WeChat official account (RMB 200,600). A Guangdong cemetery published superstitious adverts that also involved the names of heroes and martyrs (RMB 200,000).
Fines per party; Shunshi figure includes confiscations · Source: SAMR, 13 October 2026
View as table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Shanghai Manlun Trading (Dettol) | 800.0RMB '000 |
| Guangzhou Tangshiyi Trading (Shuke) | 500.0RMB '000 |
| Tianjin Baiyi E-commerce | 450.0RMB '000 |
| Quzhou Aipaike Bar | 300.0RMB '000 |
| Nanjing Huishang Fresh Food Trading | 280.0RMB '000 |
| Guangxi Shunshi Information Technology | 265.0RMB '000 |
| Harbin Shengli petrol station | 200.6RMB '000 |
| Sihui Jufubao Overseas Chinese Cemetery | 200.0RMB '000 |
Scope: the rules SAMR cited across the seven cases
- Adverts may not harm public order or go against good social customs (cited in six of the seven cases).
- Adverts may not contain sexual discrimination (the Dettol case).
- Adverts may not use the national emblem or the name or image of state organs (the Nanjing case).
- Adverts may not contain superstitious content (the Sihui cemetery case).
- Penalty dates run from February 2026 to September 2026.
Not disclosed in the source
- The Advertising Law article numbers applied in each case.
- The platforms on which most of the videos, images and the livestream appeared.
- Whether the brand owners of Dettol and Shuke were party to the cases.
- A breakdown of the 33,754 cases by type of violation or by industry.
