Recently, the Shenzhen Market Supervision Bureau issued a fine of 50,000 yuan against a small GEO (AI model output result optimization) service provider. The company violated relevant anti-unfair competition laws and regulations due to violations such as “using fake AI inclusion standards and fabricating false rankings in bulk”.
Operation Mode and Violation Methods of GEO Services
Since the large models became popular, GEO has emerged rapidly as a new service. Unlike traditional SEO efforts to gain search engine page rankings, GEO aims at the responses of large models. Service providers analyze AI’s response preferences and produce content that is easier for AI to reference, thereby helping businesses gain visibility in AI chat interactions—what is commonly referred to as “AI advertising”.
In this case, the company being investigated actively detected large model response preferences through a “GEO analysis system” and demanded inclusion standards from the AI platform. To increase the likelihood of advertising content being cited by AI, the company also maliciously fabricated fake industry ratings and posted related information on multiple social platforms. Regulatory authorities believe that these actions constitute false advertising and seriously disrupt the normal operation of AI search products.
The industry regulation is gradually tightening
Such incidents are not new. Previously, in June this year, the Beijing Chaoyang District Market Supervision Bureau also reported a similar case. A GEO service provider was fined 50,000 yuan for fabricating data such as its own ratings, market share, and renewal rates on its official website. As AI commercialization and related marketing strategies continue to evolve, regulation regarding AI optimization and false advertising is becoming stricter.