In one of the largest penalties ever issued to a dating platform, Zhenai — one of China’s oldest matchmaking services — has been fined 1.7 million yuan ($232,000) for false advertising.

On Dec. 30, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced action against Zhenai for false advertising after concluding the company used automated template messages to mislead users. These pre-written messages exaggerated membership numbers, sent fictitious notifications, and promoted fabricated success stories in marketing campaigns.

Regulators said Zhenai’s actions infringed on consumer rights, damaged the matchmaking industry’s reputation, and disrupted fair market competition. Authorities have since instructed the company to improve internal oversight and standardize its operations.

In a statement on microblogging platform Weibo, Zhenai said it had fully cooperated with the investigation and internal audits. Offering its “deepest apologies,” the company promised to address consumer concerns and conduct internal audits.

The case underscores broader issues within China’s online matchmaking industry. While the Interim Provisions on Anti-Unfair Competition on the Internet, issued last May, ban false or misleading promotions, experts argue enforcement remains weak, leaving room for companies to exploit loopholes.

Founded in 2005, Zhenai is one of China’s oldest and largest matchmaking platforms, offering a mix of online screening, personal matchmaking services, and offline stores. The company, which had nearly 100 million registered users in 2016, claims to provide a ‘time-saving and effective’ approach to finding partners, managing over 40 stores in more than 30 major cities and employing over 1,000 staff.

Users on social media have reported paying anywhere from several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan, depending on the duration and level of service.

On the domestic lifestyle app Xiaohongshu, users also shared frustrations with Zhenai’s services. Some reported enduring hours of aggressive sales pitches at offline stores before signing up for VIP matchmaking packages costing over 26,000 yuan for five months.

Others said the services they received after paying membership fees were limited to basic profiles of potential matches. Complaints also included a lack of diversity and availability among the high-quality male matches promised during the three-month membership period.

Last March, an investigation by state broadcaster CCTV exposed widespread misconduct at Zhenai, revealing how the platform used fake profiles tailored to customer preferences to exploit anxieties around age, fertility, and divorce, pushing memberships costing tens of thousands of yuan.

CCTV also found automated template messages exaggerating membership numbers and engagement, uncovering a pattern of misleading tactics.

Speaking to Sixth Tone, lawyer Zhang Nina from the Shanghai-based Walson Law Firm underscored the difficulty of protecting consumer rights in such cases, stressing the importance of clear evidence and specific grounds, such as false advertising or contract violations. She advised consumers to check for a 3–7 day cooling-off clause in matchmaking contracts, which allows for contract termination and a full refund within the stipulated period.

Wu Xinhui, from the Shanghai Kangming Law Firm, questioned whether fines alone are enough to deter misconduct, arguing that businesses willing to risk penalties for profit are unlikely to change without stronger enforcement and clearer legal definitions of “false advertising” and “inducement.”

Additional reporting: Wen Ming; editor: Apurva.

(Header image: VCG, re-edit by Sixth Tone)