Chinese Academic Whistleblower 'Geng Tongxue' Faces Social Media Restrictions

According to Central News Agency, Geng Tongxue, a popular Chinese influencer known for exposing academic fraud, has faced restrictions on his social media platforms. Geng, a well-known whistleblower, had previously exposed academic misconduct by several authorities in the life sciences field, leading to the dismissal of three professors from Nankai University and Sun Yat-sen University. Ming Pao reported that Geng suddenly announced a total suspension of his activities last Thursday, citing the principle that 'the law does not punish the masses' and that he had become 'numb' to the prevalence of fraud. The following day, he announced that his Douyin account had been permanently restricted, significantly reducing the platform's recommendation of his videos. Legal influencer 'Zhang San Tongxue' noted on Weibo that Geng's exposures caused embarrassment to prestigious universities and that the 'randomness' of his reports was often unacceptable in reality. Geng, whose real name is Geng Jiangtao, is a former doctoral student from Beihang University. Since April, he has used his account to expose alleged fraud in papers published in Nature and its sub-journals. Among those exposed were Wang Ping, Chen Quan, Kang Tiebang, and Kuang Dongming, all of whom have been dismissed. Other cases, such as that of Su Jiacan at Shanghai University, remain under investigation. On May 27, Geng exposed four more scholars, prompting investigations by institutions like Xiangya Hospital. Geng stated he is stopping his activities due to immense pressure and concerns for his family's safety.