WeChat Restricts Red Packet Code Sharing

The annual Spring Festival "red envelope war" among China's tech giants took an unexpected turn this week when users discovered WeChat was preventing the copying of promotional codes - including those from its parent company Tencent.

Alibaba's Qwen Campaign Hits Snag

Alibaba's AI assistant Qwen launched a splashy "3 billion yuan free shopping" promotion on February 6th that quickly gained traction, racking up over 5 million orders within five hours and topping Apple's App Store charts.

But users soon hit a roadblock when trying to share the campaign through WeChat. Multiple reports confirmed that when Qwen codes contained the phrase "more information," long-pressing no longer showed the copy option - effectively cutting off a major sharing channel.

Surprise: Tencent's Own App Affected

In a twist that surprised observers, testing revealed Tencent's own AI application Yuanbao faced identical restrictions within WeChat. This self-imposed limitation raises eyebrows about Tencent's strategy during the crucial holiday marketing period.

"It's unusual to see a company potentially hamstringing its own product," noted tech analyst Li Wei. "This suggests the restrictions might be part of broader platform controls rather than targeted competitive moves."

Platform Wars Heat Up

With Chinese New Year approaching, the incident highlights how competition has shifted from simply offering bigger bonuses to controlling fundamental user access points. Last year saw similar tensions when platforms blocked each other's red packet links.

WeChat hasn't commented on the restrictions, leaving users wondering whether this represents:

• A technical glitch affecting certain keywords
• Intentional platform policy tightening
• Temporary measures during peak traffic periods

The situation puts consumers in an awkward position as they navigate between competing platforms' holiday promotions. For now, participants in Qwen's popular campaign must find alternative ways to share codes outside WeChat.

Key Points:

• WeChat blocks copying of red packet codes containing "more information"
• Affects both Alibaba's Qwen and Tencent-owned Yuanbao apps
• No official explanation from WeChat as of publication
• Holiday marketing battles increasingly focus on access control
• Users forced to adapt sharing methods amid platform restrictions