Beijing names WeChat and other apps for data flaws and shuts down fan club apps, as scrutiny ratchets up
- The list includes some of China’s most popular apps, such as Tencent Holdings’ WeChat, and its corporate version WeCom
- Naming and shaming of Chinese apps by the central government has now become a regular occurrence, and the MIIT has upped its surveillance since 2019
Chinese authorities are continuing their scrutiny of mobile apps, calling out privacy flaws in an array of popular apps and removing several products used by pop star fans, mostly teenagers, who want to connect with their idols.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Wednesday named 43 smartphone applications that were found to illegally transfer user contact data, location information or incorrectly use pop-up ads when users open the app.
The list includes some of China’s most popular apps, such as Tencent Holdings’ WeChat, its corporate version WeCom, Tencent Video and Tencent Maps – all of which illegally used contact and location information, according to MIIT.
Weibo Wallet, a fintech product associated with social media platform Weibo, video giant iQiyi, Trip.com’s major travel booking platform Ctrip and retail giant Suning.com’s two apps, Suning Yigou and Suning Xiaodian, were found to have the same issue, according to MIIT.
Suning.com recently announced that it would sell almost 17 per cent of its shares to a consortium which includes e-commerce titan Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the South China Morning Post.
The MIIT has told the companies to solve the problem by August 25 or face punishment, according to the statement.
The companies named did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
