Tesla threatened Chinese bloggers for posting criticism about Elon Musk's company: Report

A group of Chinese bloggers have accused Electric car maker Tesla of threatening them with a defamation suit after they posted negative comments about it online. In the recent few months, the Elon Musk-led firm has been battling a slew of backlash following several car crashes in China. The accidents have triggered angst in Chinese customers, who have taken to various social media sites to lampoon the manufacturer while also expressing safety concerns regarding car models.

However as the backlash exacerbated, Tesla grew weary of it. Last month, the car manufacturer opened its own official Sina Weibo account. According to a Financial Times report, Tesla has been using the account to check users publishing negative content about the firm and subsequently warning them with a defamation suit. Earlier this week, a blogger posted photos of Tesla allegedly threatening to sue after he had called the company a "hooligan" and "rubbish" on the Chinese news and content platform Jinri Toutiao. 

Meanwhile, several other apprehensive users published public apologies. At least two, issued apologies on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, saying their previous posts fabricated issues with Tesla's cars, according to Financial Times. Earlier in April,  the company apologised after receiving backlash from the local Chinese media for its treatment of a customer. It all started when a Chinese customer unhappy with the company reached the Tesla booth at the Shanghai auto show. She climbed atop a car and protested against the company. Eventually, the woman was taken by security officials and detained for five days, Shanghai police said. Later, Teska apologised and mentioned that they always try their best to communicate with their customers. They said that they will continue to look for solutions and fulfil the responsibility.

Largest Market 

China serves as the largest market for Tesla cars but with repeated kerfuffle, the sales have slumped. Last month, the sale of Tesla cars in China plummeted to half of its sale in April, The Information reported. The country represents a critical space for Tesla, as the country claimed 29% of Tesla's global sales in the first quarter.

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