Alibaba’s second-hand trading platform Xianyu was recently exposed for having a problem of erotic diversion.
Xianyu is one of China’s major platforms for second-hand commodity trading, where users can publish, buy, and transfer second-hand goods, as well as find various service information.
In a recent report by Hebei TV’s “Today Investigation,” it was revealed that Xianyu platform harbors a complete illegal pornographic industry chain, with unscrupulous businesses using terms like “door-to-door” and “dealing with Pokémon” as covert signals to divert users, even involving minors. Individuals on Xianyu posted information under names like “SPA massage,” “models for home appointments and photo shoots,” “door-to-door fitness,” and “swimming lessons,” mostly accompanied by photos of women, aiming to redirect users to external platforms like WeChat and group chats. One customer service representative even marked “dealing with Pokémon” in their personal information, offering “appointments” with minors as young as 14 years old for prices ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.
After searching on Xianyu, a reporter from the media contacted a business claiming to be a spa massage shop in Xi’an. During the conversation, the business hinted at providing special services and guided the reporter to leave Xianyu for further contact on other channels.
At a store labeled as “swimming lessons,” the reporter made a purchase only to receive a video that instructed viewers to scan a code and join a group chat for diversion. Upon entering the chat group, numerous women’s “profile cards” could be seen, with claims of being available nationwide. To join the local group, a payment of 99 yuan as an “intention fee” was required.
Subsequently, a customer service representative sent a “course schedule” with prices indicated, including items related to special home services.
At another customer service labeled as “dealing with Pokémon,” the reporter inquired about related services. The representative claimed to have mostly underage girls available for “appointments,” with the youngest being 14 years old, and mentioned service prices ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.
Xianyu had previously stated that organized black-gray industry groups often use traffic platforms as diversion entry points, with actual pornographic transactions or fraudulent activities taking place off-site, making it more challenging for the platform to monitor and govern.
Furthermore, these groups constantly change pornographic terms and even use normal product names as camouflage.
Prior to this media exposé, on September 18, Xianyu announced that since 2026, the platform had dealt with 98,358 accounts posing risks of pornographic diversion and had transferred relevant clues to public security authorities.
However, the media investigation still found individuals evading platform review through covert signals, disguised products, and off-site diversion methods.
According to previous reports by The Paper, in 2016, a media investigation revealed instances of same-city companionship with openly marked prices on Xianyu.
In June 2026, The Paper reported that a journalist spent 8 yuan on Xianyu to purchase revealing photos of minors.
Despite several exposures and regulatory measures taken, the issue of pornographic diversion on the Xianyu platform continues to persist through changing covert signals, disguised products, and off-site redirections, drawing attention once again to how second-hand trading platforms can strengthen pre-identification and protection of minors.