最高法发布案例明确：个人不得擅自发布悬赏广告征集违法犯罪线索

Core Viewpoint - The Supreme People's Court has ruled that individuals cannot arbitrarily publish reward advertisements to solicit information about others' alleged illegal activities, as it constitutes defamation [1][2]. Group 1: Case Details - A development company sued an individual, Zheng, for defamation after he posted a reward advertisement on social media seeking information about the company's alleged illegal activities [1]. - Zheng's advertisement claimed he would reward individuals who provided verified evidence of the company's wrongdoing, which led to a lawsuit from the company demanding the removal of the advertisement and compensation for damages amounting to over 32,000 yuan [1]. Group 2: Court's Ruling - The court determined that only public authorities, such as the police, should issue reward advertisements for soliciting information about illegal activities, and that Zheng's actions misled the public into believing the company was involved in wrongdoing, thereby harming its reputation [2]. - The final judgment required Zheng to delete the infringing content, publicly apologize to the development company on his social media account, and pay over 7,000 yuan in damages [2].