(Yicai Global) May 28 -- TikTok operator ByteDance Technology, which also runs one of China’s biggest news aggregator websites, has been ordered by a Chinese court to pay social media platform Sina Weibo CNY21.2 million (USD3.3 million) in compensation for unfair competition practices, China National Radio reported yesterday.

ByteDance has been found guilty of mass copying data from the Weibo website and reposting it on Toutiao since October 2016. The Beijing-based firm had tried to deflect the blame by saying that the content was independently reposted by users, but the court was not buying it.

These ‘freeriding’ acts have hurt Weibo’s professional standing and affected user loyalty, the Beijing-based company said. They have maliciously seized internet traffic from Weibo, causing the platform huge economic losses.

ByteDance must immediately stop such dishonest rivalry as ‘copying and reposting’ external content on its news aggregator, the court said. It must also publish an apology on the home page of Toutiao and on the Toutiao Weibo account for seven consecutive days from May 17 when the judgement took place.

No such apology was to be found, though, and Toutiao’s Weibo account has been out of action since August 2017, Yicai Global noticed.

Editor: Kim Taylor