Technology conglomerate Tencent Holdings has been subjected to further scrutiny from China, with the government now instructing Tencent to submit any new apps and updates for inspections before their release. According to Chinese financial media outlet Yicai, this new requirement comes after several of Tencent’s apps were found to have committed regulatory violations.
Among those violations include infringements on users’ rights and interests. Yicai further revealed that the technology giants had been directly instructed to comply with the new inspection requirement by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology itself.
In response to Yicai’s reports, Tencent announced that all of its apps will remain functional and available to download. The company further assured stakeholders that it is continuously working to enhance user protection features and continues to ensure “regular cooperation with relevant government agencies to ensure regulatory compliance.”
China’s regulatory crackdown on tech companies stretches back to last year, in an effort to eliminate monopolistic behavior in the market and prevent the infringement of users’ rights. On November 3rd, Chinese regulators intensified their inspections, requiring that 38 apps, including some of Tencent’s, undergo alterations in order to halt what they considered the “excessive collection of personal information.”
