(Yicai Global) Dec. 24 -- Kuaishou Technology, the world’s highest-grossing live-streaming platform, will halt the account of one of its most popular live streamers for 60 days after he was found to be peddling phoney birds’ nests, the authentic item being a Chinese delicacy.

Xin Ba’s personal account, which has 70 million followers, will be shut for 60 days, his group account ‘Xin Ba Family Shida Piaoliang’ will be closed until Feb. 21 next year and another nine live streamers in his team will not be able to use their accounts until Jan. 7, Kuaishou said yesterday.

 Xin is accused of selling bird nest products, which in China are regarded as a nutritional supplement and are extremely expensive, that turned out to be little more than sugar and water.

Once exposed, Xin apologized on Nov. 27 and admitted that his campaign was misleading, based only on promotional products provided by the manufacturer.

He has offered to repay customers three times the price of the goods, amounting to a pay out of CNY60 million (USD9.2 million). He was also slapped with a CNY900,000 (USD137,850) fine by Guangzhou regulators.

The supplier of the counterfeit product, Guangzhou Rongyu Trading, was fined CNY2 million (USD306,000), the company said yesterday.

Xin and his team of more than 20 live sales hosts represent big business for Kuaishou. The Beijing-based internet giant earns most of its revenue from ‘e-tipping,’ where viewers send hosts virtual gifts as expressions of admiration and appreciation during livestreaming sessions. The firm raked in CNY17.3 billion (USD2.6 billion) in the first six months through livestreaming, 68.5 percent of all revenue. Other income streams are online advertising and e-commerce.

Last month Xin and his team realized sales of CNY1.88 billion (USD287.9 million) in just one day during the Double 11 Online Shopping Bonanza.

Editor: Kim Taylor