A vice president at Baidu, which is the largest search engine company in China, has made a formal apology after it was revealed that his daughter allegedly disclosed the personal details of an internet user who criticized Jang Wonyoung from IVE.

According to reports on March 18 from Chinese media sources, Xie Guangjun, the Baidu executive, acknowledged through social media that his 13-year-old daughter got involved in an online argument regarding a Korean celebrity, which later escalated into breaching someone's privacy.

In his statement, Xie admitted that his daughter exposed personal information of the other party on overseas social platforms following their disagreement about a Korean celebrity. Expressing regret for failing to properly educate his daughter on respecting others and safeguarding personal data, Xie sincerely apologized to those impacted by the incident.

The issue began when a netizen who was pregnant posted negative comments about Jang Wonyoung. In response, a woman, eventually identified as the daughter of Xie Guangjun, launched an online attack against the critic, asserting her immunity from potential legal action due to being in Canada and having her father in a high-ranking role at Baidu.

After her identity was disclosed by other online users, she was linked back to Xie Guangjun.

Xie Guangjun has been with Baidu since 2010 and was appointed as a vice president in 2021. The incident has led to concerns among Chinese internet users regarding the data security measures at Baidu, raising suspicions about potential unauthorized access to personal details via the company's systems.

The fallout from this situation has triggered increased public debate over the responsibilities of corporations and the safeguarding of privacy within China's digital environment.