this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2025
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Zhang Yazhou was sitting in the passenger seat of her Tesla Model 3 when she said she heard her father’s panicked voice: The brakes don’t work! Approaching a red light, her father swerved around two cars before plowing into an SUV and a sedan and crashing into a large concrete barrier.

Stunned, Zhang gazed at the deflating airbag in front of her. She could never have imagined what was to come: Tesla sued her for defamation for complaining publicly about the car’s brakes — and won. A Chinese court ordered Zhang to pay more than $23,000 in damages and publicly apologize to the $1.1 trillion company.

Zhang is not the only one to find herself in the crosshairs of Tesla, which is led by Elon Musk, among the richest men in the world and a self-described “ free speech absolutist.” Over the last four years, Tesla has sued at least six car owners in China who had sudden vehicle malfunctions, quality complaints or accidents they claimed were caused by mechanical failures.

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Japan's defamation/libel laws, similar to this Tesla case China, don't matter if what you said is true. What matters is that you disrespected the 'face' and reputation of those in power.

That is the stupidest fucking idea I have ever heard

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 week ago (3 children)

In some Asian cultures, saving face is the most important thing in the world. Doesn't matter if people die, as long as nobody important loses face.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I stand by my original statement.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I wasn't disagreeing with you, more like elaborating tbh.

I find it ridiculous too. It's also one of the reasons everyone in the software industry has bad experiences with outsourced Indian software engineers - they'll tell you it can be done, whatever 'it' is. They don't ask for guidance because that would be losing face. And then you have Indian engineers reinventing bicycles, except the wheels are square. The other reason is socioeconomic in nature and irrelevant to the discussion here.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Wasn't trying to sound like I disagreed with your point, more just reiterating how stupid it is.

And yeah, I've seen that a lot with Indian offshores. One guy is like that, and the other vacillates between competent/does not need direction and asking for clarification on shit he's done previously.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

There are other countries, not in East Asia, where that's also true: for example, in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf monarchies. Reputation and respect for hierarchy is a big thing in old-school Arab culture, though in other parts of the Arab world such as Lebanon, there is a rich repertoire of invective and shit-talking that'd make a New York cabbie blush.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

It's the same kind of attitude that leads to people murdering their fucking daughter for showing her hair or some shit.

Honor culture garbage. Shit that we should have left behind centuries ago.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

There are a lot of cultures that do a lot of stupid shit. This is stupid shit.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago

Agreed. I live in Japan and self censor what I say online, avoid leaving negative but truthful business reviews, because there is a very real risk of being sued for libel.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

Yeah I found it preposterous when I heard of such laws in Japan. Also the fact that you can get YEARS in prison for such a thing is even more fucked up. The disparity between three years and 500,000 yen, which is close to 3500$US is also ridiculous.