Photo taken on Nov. 23, 2020 shows vehicles to be tested at the assembly workshop of FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd. in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province.(Photo: Xinhua)

FAW-Volkswagen, based in Changchun city, northeastern China, on Tuesday apologized for pushing popup advertisement in a moving vehicle and said it has immediately stopped such functions to avoid affecting driver safety.

The response comes after a car owner in Southwest China’s Chongqing city said an item of pop-up information appeared on the central control screen while she was driving, Jiemian.com reported.

The incident sparked wide discussion on Chinese social media and triggered concerns that the pop-up information or flash ads may distract drivers and increase the risk of an accident.

A representative from FAW-Volkswagen said that the push of the information is intended to show the company’s “care toward users” as the content is about maintaining the car, the brand’s activities and other information closely related to the user, according to the report.

This is not the first time that pop-up information has appeared on the car navigation screen as many auto companies have tried to use the system for commercial promotion purpose as cars become more intelligent.

In October 2021, a NIO owner said on the social platform that his vehicle pushed a pop-up advertisement on the navigation interface, and the content is about a preview of a fashion brand launch under NIO, the Securities Times reported.

In February 2021, a Haval car owner reported that the car pushed pop-up advertisements on the navigational screen after it started, according to the report.

Chinese regulatory authorities have stepped up regulation of pop-up notifications on internet platforms. To standardize pop-up information service, China’s cyberspace regulator has issued administrative guidelines on pop-up information on internet platforms which will come into force on Friday.

The guideline will target maliciously embedded information, or flash advertisements that cannot be closed and algorithm models that induce excessive spending, so as to regulate the industry and protect the rights of the users.

Global Times