The “navigation ad” incident first surfaced in June. At that time, Sales Champion Boss Li posted a video recounting a personal experience while driving.
According to his account, it was pouring rain. He was approaching an expressway exit ramp when he used voice commands to activate his phone’s assistant and launch a navigation app.
Source: Screenshot from Weibo
Upon launching, the navigation app displayed a splash screen ad. As the vehicle hit a bump during travel, the phone detected motion resembling a “shake-to-activate” gesture.
The ad triggered instantly—and the interface jumped to a third-party e-commerce platform.
Under normal circumstances, encountering an unexpected ad upon opening an app might merely feel annoying.
But while driving—especially during heavy rain and when preparing to change lanes to exit the highway—full attention must be devoted to road conditions.
So when the navigation interface suddenly vanished and the phone screen switched to an online shopping platform instead, the issue escalated well beyond mere annoyance.
Getting the navigation interface back required manual intervention—transforming the problem from “irritating ad” into a genuine safety concern.
This video quickly ignited widespread online discussion. Because many users shared the same sentiment: “Splash-screen ads? Fine—but don’t jump away without warning!”
Navigation apps differ fundamentally from ordinary apps. Users open them primarily to reach destinations, find routes, or check directions on the fly.
If the app is immediately obstructed by an ad—or worse, automatically redirects to a third-party platform due to minor vehicle vibrations—it inevitably delivers a frustrating, potentially hazardous user experience.
Had the story ended there, it would’ve remained little more than a mildly viral complaint post by a relatively well-known blogger.
Yet, by mid-to-late June, a curious phenomenon emerged: Many netizens suddenly noticed—why had those long-annoying splash-screen ads disappeared?
Frequently used apps launched cleanly, with no intrusive ads.
This sparked an intriguing online debate: Did the blogger’s video somehow trigger a collective removal of splash-screen ads across the industry?
Xiao Lei BIBI (ID: xiaoleibbb) believes it’s premature to draw a direct causal link between these two events.
In today’s traffic-driven digital ecosystem, influencers with millions of followers wield considerable sway.
Source: Screenshot from Douyin
Using overly sensational language to steer public opinion—before facts and details have been thoroughly verified—can easily cause collateral damage, inflicting serious harm on businesses and brands.
His wording may have been noncompliant; his specifics, perhaps imprecise—but his core message was valid.
Displaying ads during driving—and enabling automatic redirection to other apps due to minor vehicle jolts—is inherently absurd and profoundly disrespectful of human life and safety.
