China Orders Stores to Remove More Apps Operated by Didi
BEIJING—China ordered mobile app stores to remove 25 more apps operated by Didi Global Inc.’s China arm, saying the apps illegally collect personal data, escalating its regulatory actions against the ride-hailing company.
The apps newly targeted on Friday include Didi’s app for drivers offering rides through its platform, an app for corporate users and a financing app. On Sunday, the Cyberspace Administration of China ordered mobile stores to remove Didi’s main app in China.
The cyber watchdog also banned websites and platforms from providing access to Didi-linked services in China, according to the watchdog’s statement. Users who had already downloaded Didi’s apps appeared unaffected.
Didi has faced a spate of government actions that have sent its shares tumbling just days after it started publicly trading on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30. Two days before the Cyberspace Administration acted against Didi’s main app, the regulator launched a cybersecurity review of the company and banned it from accepting new users in China.
Didi said it will follow the authorities’ orders. In a statement it posted on social media platform Weibo, the company also said it guarantees personal data security.
