The influencer lost 1.4 million followers shortly after going live. Her beauty filter malfunction is to blame for everything.
A viral video on social media shows a Chinese live streamer’s beauty filter briefly failing during a live session. For a moment, her natural face appears with a normal skin texture and a warmer tone.
The filter then quickly returns to give her a smooth, pale, doll-like look with larger eyes and a slimmer jawline.
The clip went viral on platforms like X and Instagram. One of the viral videos claims to have lost 1,40,000 followers immediately after the glitch.
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This report is based on user generated content from social media. LiveMint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.
In the 4-second video, the streamer is seen in a bedroom setting with soft lighting and a floral headboard. She has long black hair and wears a purple strapless top with gold jewelry.
Her expression remains calm throughout. She gently fixes her hair and smiles as the filter returns. Then he continues as if nothing happened.
Chinese live streamers often broadcast for long hours on platforms such as Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. They interact with viewers, sing, dance or promote products and earn money through virtual gifts sent by fans.
These gifts are bought with real money and converted into income. The appearance of an influencer plays a very important role in attracting attention and leads.
Many streamers use heavy cosmetic filters that enlarge the eyes, smooth the skin, and reshape facial features to fit popular beauty standards. This usually increases engagement, especially from male viewers.
The virus filter glitch reminds many of the 2019 incident involving a vlogger known as “Your Highness Qiao Biluo”. A filter failure revealed it to be much older than fans had believed.
The influencer had more than 1,000 followers on Douya and used beauty filters and won gifts worth large sums of money. During a joint stream on July 25, 2019, she asked for expensive donations before showing her face.
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When the filter suddenly failed, the audience saw her true form. Many VIP subscribers immediately left and several followers unfollowed her, according to the BBC.
Although she lost support at first, controversies later increased her fame.
In the current case, the identity of the streamer is unknown. Online reactions are mixed. Some users criticize the perceived scam. Others say that her natural look looks more real and attractive than the filtered version.
Reaction on social networks
Rumors suggest that China may introduce rules to curb excessive beauty filters on live broadcasts. These measures are said to target misleading digital appearances and promote authenticity.
“Filters should be criminalized,” responded a social media user.
“Looks prettier (without filters) than that Chinese ghost,” commented another.
Another user wondered: “Do Chinese people honestly think that the girl on the left (no filter) looks physically repulsive and the girl on the right looks like a real person?
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However, some users thought that the loss of 1.40 lakh followers was justified.
“We can’t blame the 140,000,” wrote one of them.
“Her account should have been banned for cheating fans,” chimed in another.
Another user wrote: “When the filter drops, reality hits harder than the algorithm.”
“This really shows how much social media culture is shaped by filters and curated images. It’s unfortunate when looks become the main reason people follow or unfollow someone. Authenticity usually creates stronger and longer lasting support than perfection ever could,” wrote another.