Tencent’s WeChat Among 42 Apps Rebuked by China Over Illegal User Data Transfer

Apps from Alibaba, Trip.com, and video streamer iQiyi among those flagged by Chinese regulators.

By Reuters | Updated: 18 August 2021 18:00 IST

Tencent’s WeChat Among 42 Apps Rebuked by China Over Illegal User Data Transfer

The punishment comes during a year of ongoing regulatory scrutiny towards tech companies

Highlights

Regulator said the apps had illegally transferred users' contact list
The list also included an e-reading app owned by Alibaba Group
MIIT stated that apps will have until August 25 to make rectification

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Wednesday that 43 apps, including Tencent's WeChat, were found to have illegally transferred user data, and ordered their parent companies to make rectifications.

The move comes as Chinese authorities tighten regulatory oversight on a range of industry, with a particular emphasis on privacy and data.

In a statement published online, the regulator said the apps had illegally transferred users' contact list and location data, while also harassing them with pop-up windows.

WeChat’s ‘Youth Mode’ Faces Lawsuit Over Minors’ Safety Non-Compliance

The list also included an e-reading app owned by Alibaba Group, as well as others managed by travel giant Trip.com, and video streamer iQiyi.

MIIT stated that the apps will have until August 25 to make rectifications, or else they will be punished in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Alibaba iQiyi and Tencent did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trip.com declined to comment.

WeChat Temporarily Suspends New User Registration for Security Compliance

The punishment comes during a year of ongoing regulatory scrutiny towards tech companies.

On Tuesday, China's State Administration for Market Regulation published a set of draft rules aimed at improving fair competition, banning practices such as fake reviews and inflated public metrics.

© Thomson Reuters 2021

It's a John Cena double-header this week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, as we discuss The Suicide Squad, and later, Fast & Furious 9 (from 28:03). Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.