Chinese official’s request for Tencent, Alibaba to develop coronavirus-related apps receives backlash
- Tencent and Alibaba said they already have tools dedicated to community epidemic control
- The coronavirus has forced the authorities to put cities under lockdown or quarantine
A Chinese official has called for Chinese tech giants including Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group to develop apps to help control the rapid spread of infection within communities, as China continues to fight against the deadly new coronavirus.
“Here I implore the major internet companies, such as Tencent and Alibaba, to develop public community apps for community workers,” Chen Yueliang, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said in a press conference on Monday, as he introduced measures to restrict and record the movement of residents within communities.
“Charitable software is more useful than a 1 billion yuan donation,” Chen said.
The comments drew a swift response from both Tencent and Alibaba, who said they were “ready” with tools dedicated to community epidemic control.
The official’s comments also drew a mixed reaction on Chinese social media. It became a trending topic on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform, seen over 18 million times with 25,000 discussions.
While some netizens said the comments provided a good opportunity for tech companies to look into the community services space, many more criticised officials for steering clear of their own responsibility.