A Chinese app developer was sentenced to five years in prison and given a 100,000-yuan (US$15,345) fine for managing an app that inflated the online popularity of some high-profile pop idols, the latest move in China to crack down on fake Internet traffic.
Cai Kunmiao, 26, was convicted of providing programs that intrude upon computer information systems, according to a court document released last week, detailing a ruling from the People’s Court of Fengtai District in Beijing on December 31. Cai was the developer of two fake traffic apps, Xinyuan and the lesser-known Yingyuanbao.