China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo said it is considering promoting a one-click removal function for all cyberbullying messages. Photo: VCG

China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo said Friday that it had permanently banned 40 accounts who sent insulting messages to  "twice abandoned" teenager Liu Xuezhou amid discussion over cyberbullying, the last straw which broke Liu's spirit  before his death.    

Weibo said it screened a total of 1,239 accounts that had personally contacted Liu since January 12. Most of the messages these accounts sent to Liu were very encouraging and warm, while others exchanged their opinions with him and asked questions. However, some conducted personal attacks on Liu. 

Besides the 40 accounts that are permanently banned, another 52 are suspended for 6-12 months, Weibo said.   

The move comes amid heated discussion over cyberbullying on China's social media platforms following Liu's death. 

Liu, the 17-year-old boy from North China's Hebei Province, committed suicide on Monday. 

According to media reports, Liu was sold by his birth parents, who lived in North China's Shanxi, when he was three months old. His adoptive parents died in 2009. He later found his birth parents with the help of police in December 2021. 

Before his suicide, Liu suffered from cyberbullying after media reports said that he asked his parents to buy or rent a house for him since he had been staying in other people's homes, after which his parents cut off contact with him and his mother even blocked him on WeChat. 

Some netizens criticized Liu for trying to find his biological parents just because he wanted a house from them. 

Liu's body was buried in Xingtai, Hebei, on Friday. 

Police are still investigating Liu's case, including the problem of human trafficking in Shanxi, which his story revealed.

Weibo said it would cooperate with police in the investigation. 

Weibo also announced Thursday that it is considering promoting a one-click removal function for all cyberbullying messages. 

The move comes alongside a campaign launched by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Tuesday to rein in chaotic behavior in cyberspace as the Spring Festival approaches, with a focus on cyberbullying, such as insulting or doxing others under the guise of the epidemic and trendy social topics.

The one-month campaign will rectify accounts that spread illegal information and chaotic scenes online to ensure people enjoy healthy and festive holidays, according to the administration.