On March 31, "Recently I accidentally discovered that there were a large number of payment records on my elderly family member's phone, some as small as a few yuan, some as much as twenty or thirty yuan. Over the past month, the elderly person's total payments to the same merchant actually reached 644.8 yuan. Only later did I learn that most of it was deducted for the elderly person watching short micro-dramas." Today, Beijing resident Xiao Jiang told reporters that some micro-dramas are set to automatically unlock the next episode and then automatically deduct payment, and the elderly person did not even know so much money had been deducted.

　　Xiao Jiang said that these micro-dramas often focus on themes such as disputes between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, or conflicts between husbands and wives. This type of micro-drama has a compact plot and constant reversals, making the elderly person very addicted. Because Xiao Jiang could not reach the customer service of the micro-drama platform, he has now filed a complaint on the Black Cat Complaint platform and also complained to the local consumers association.

　　Recently, platforms such as Kuaishou, Douyin, Tencent, and iQIYI have all launched large numbers of micro-dramas, some of which require recharging platform membership or paying to purchase in order to watch all the content. Behind the booming development of micro-dramas, more and more elderly people are falling into payment traps. According to a media report in March this year, an elderly person in Chengdu had maintained a frequency of paying 6,000 yuan per month for micro-dramas over the past six months, with cumulative recharge amounts reaching as high as 40,000 yuan.

　　In January this year, the China Consumers Association and other institutions released the "Hotspots of Public Opinion on Consumer Rights Protection in the Fourth Quarter of 2023," pointing out several prominent issues that infringe on consumer rights, among which induced payment by short-video platform micro-dramas was prominently listed, causing many middle-aged and elderly consumers to suffer rights violations.

　　It is reported that elderly people are not skilled at using mobile phones. After being induced by advertisements such as "only 0.9 yuan to unlock one episode," it is difficult for them to notice options such as "the next episode will be automatically unlocked by default," resulting in charges being deducted without their knowledge. After their children discover it, they also face problems such as cumbersome complaint procedures. Some netizens report that filing complaints takes a great deal of time and energy, and some merchants even "change their vest" or directly remove the videos, making rights protection difficult.

　　"The trick of micro-dramas is that the first two or three episodes can be watched for free, and after that you must pay if you want to watch more." Consumer Wang Xue, who has bought micro-dramas, told reporters that many micro-dramas also have chaotic practices such as high charges and repeated charges. After watching a drama of more than a hundred episodes, the amount actually spent far exceeds the annual membership price of mainstream video websites.

　　The reporter learned that many micro-dramas are generally first promoted on short-video platforms, then redirected to WeChat mini-programs, and then attract consumers to pay to watch. In addition to paying by episode, some micro-drama mini-programs also provide monthly, quarterly, and annual membership recharge services. Through operation, the reporter found that the annual membership prices marked by some micro-drama mini-programs are above 300 yuan.

　　Xiong Chao, a lawyer at Beijing Jingshi Law Firm, pointed out that elderly people have relatively ample time, and short videos enrich their entertainment life. Some micro-dramas precisely "hunt" this group with the help of algorithms. Xiong Chao suggested that internet platforms should set relevant reminders for micro-drama consumption, advise consumers to pay cautiously, and at the same time smooth complaint channels to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of consumers, especially elderly consumers.