Paid Service for Removing OpenClaw Gains Popularity in China

Paid service for removing OpenClaw gains popularity in China.

The frenzy surrounding OpenClaw has led to the emergence of a paid service for removing the AI agent in Chinese social media. Previously, users paid to install the software, reports SCMP.

On Alibaba’s classified platform, the Xianyu marketplace, numerous offers have appeared under the query “remove OpenClaw.” For instance, a user from Shanghai with the nickname mojito lime water is willing to perform the task for 299 yuan ($43.55). He has already completed dozens of such orders.

Similar services are offered in other major cities.

The sudden shift in interest towards OpenClaw occurred after the publication of a warning from China’s National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team. The agency stated that the software for launching AI agents has extremely weak security settings by default.

The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology announced the launch of an initiative to develop standards for so-called Claw agents, to address the issue of their opaque decision-making mechanisms.

The institute plans to gather proposals from companies and industry experts to develop requirements titled Reliable Capability Requirements for Intelligent Assistant Agents (Claw) Products. These will include standards for quality control and reliability of AI agents’ behavior.

The Hype Around OpenClaw

Released in 2025, OpenClaw quickly gained popularity due to its ability to autonomously perform tasks for users. It can sort or respond to emails, write work reports, and prepare presentations.

The software gained particular popularity in China. People lined up and were willing to pay for the installation of AI agents on their devices.

According to Zhou Hongyi, co-founder and chairman of the Chinese cybersecurity company 360 Security Technology, of the approximately 150,000 installed programs, over 40% are in China.

“In the AI era, the largest attacks may no longer come from server vulnerabilities, but from intelligent agents granted the rights to perform tasks,” the expert stated.

Several Chinese universities have issued warnings regarding OpenClaw. They recommend using only the latest official version of the application, restricting the program’s internet access, and carefully monitoring permissions.

Users were also cautioned against risky actions such as installing third-party mirror versions, visiting unverified sites, and disabling detailed log audit functions.

Back in February, Meta AI security researcher Summer Yue tasked the OpenClaw AI agent with checking her overflowing inbox. The bot began deleting everything at lightning speed.