Tencent releases its annual Weixin Brand Protection Report, demonstrating continued progress in tackling counterfeiting and intellectual property (IP) abuse. The report highlights how Weixin has strengthened its enforcement capabilities in 2024 through innovative solutions, proactive measures, and expanded collaboration with brand owners. These efforts have continued to reduce and make more difficult any misuse of Weixin by bad actors engaged in illicit activity, across both private and public-facing features.

Weixin is a unique, multifaceted communication service that consists of private and public features like direct messaging, group chats, Official Accounts, and third-party Mini-Programs. Many of the world’s leading brands collaborate with Weixin through its Brand Protection Platform (BPP). This demonstrates Weixin’s dual value for brand protection and a powerful connection with consumers.

“We’re proud of the progress Weixin has made this year in strengthening our tools, mobilizing our user communities, and expanding partnerships to tackle counterfeiting both online and offline,” said Danny Marti, Head of Global Public Policy at Tencent. “These efforts help brands connect with consumers more confidently, while advancing the authentic experiences that power the global digital economy.”

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Highlights from the 2024 Report

1. Building Trust Through Community-Driven Enforcement

Weixin’s industry-first crowdsourced reporting system of this scale continues to set new benchmarks for addressing counterfeit activity in private channels such as direct messages and group chats. In 2024, more than 98% of all takedown actions in private chats and 99.9% of takedowns in group chats originated from crowdsourced user submissions, demonstrating the power of community-led enforcement

2. Proactive Protection at Scale

Weixin has ramped up proactive measures in public-facing features. Tools like automatic keyword interception and strict account registration blocked thousands of suspicious activities daily. In 2024, Weixin proactively shut down more than 120,000 livestreaming rooms and removed more than 22,000 infringing short videos. These proactive measures by Weixin amounted to 3x more livestreaming rooms identified for punitive measures (rooms “shut down”) over brand and user reporting combined. This evidences an effective “front end” proactive enforcement system, leaving less reporting opportunities for our partners.

New reporting tools, including specifically mobile-enabled and bulk submission features, further accelerated enforcement and have provided enhanced “ease of use” in direct response to feedback provided by our partners. Additionally, Weixin’s new ‘Anti-Counterfeiting Classroom’ campaign also helped educate users identifying and reporting counterfeit goods, while serving as an important public service campaign to warn users about the dangers and prohibited nature of counterfeit goods on Weixin.

3. Expanding Offline Enforcement and the Brand Protection Community 

Weixin’s IP protection efforts extended into the offline space through partnership with brands and collaboration with law enforcement. In 2024, Weixin supported 29 major offline cases, a 20% increase in case volume and a 15% rise in case value—reaching USD 300 million. Overall, 190 suspects were identified during the year. The BPP now supports over 640 brands across more than 30 industries and 20 countries, up from 570+ in 2023 – reinforcing Weixin’s role as a trusted partner for global brands seeking effective IP protection and enforcement.

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Fostering a Global IP Ecosystem That Drives Creativity and Innovation

The 2024 Weixin BPP Report highlights Tencent’s leadership in positioning intellectual property as a foundation for innovation in both digital and AI-driven environments. Through the strategic use of copyrights, patents, and trademarks, Tencent has become both a catalyst for creativity and a trusted partner to global brands.

“At Tencent, we believe in building a healthy, vibrant global IP ecosystem that transcends boundaries and empowers creators to collaborate without limits,” added Danny Marti, Head of Global Public Policy at Tencent. “Our approach enables authentic experiences and fosters sustainable industries that properly reward original thinking and build lasting goodwill among consumers and communities alike.”

Tencent’s broader IP vision goes beyond commercial protection to embrace sustainable development—nearly 25% of its IP portfolio aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, earning recognition from WIPO and LexisNexis for leadership in sustainable innovation. Through collaborations with entertainment giants, luxury labels, sports and lifestyle brands, among many others, Tencent continues to redefine digital experiences, showing that a strong IP ecosystem not only protects creativity, but also unleashes its full transformative potential.