“In 2013, China instituted a law stating that, if one user’s post is considered defamatory and is viewed 5,000 times or reposted more than 500 times, the original poster can face a jail sentence.
[...]
Weibo has required real-name verification upon registration since 2017, linking accounts to people’s official ID or phone number. But users who have been kicked off have been able to get back on using burner accounts from underground online shops.
It’s unclear how such shops set up bot accounts — none of those contacted would talk with a journalist. The cost of a burner account ranges from 0.5 yuan (7 cents) to 240 yuan ($35). The account sellers operate in a legal gray zone, catering mainly to accounts looking to boost their profiles. Authorities have been cracking down on such shops in recent years. In 2018, China’s central internet regulator launched a campaign to remove users who obtained burner accounts after being banned on social media platforms.”
-shen lu, “kicked off weibo? here’s what happens next” for rest of world
