TikTok owner ByteDance sues Tencent over alleged monopolistic practices, WeChat owner vows to countersue

ByteDance is seeking US$14 million in compensation over the blocking of links to Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, on Tencent’s WeChat and QQ

ByteDance previously complained about WeChat’s policy for third-party links and also banned certain influencers from redirecting followers to WeChat and QQ

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Published: 9:29pm, 2 Feb 2021Updated: 10:36am, 3 Feb 2021

Corrected [10:36am, 3 Feb, 2021]

[10:36am, 3 Feb, 2021]
The original said that Tencent was based in Beijing. Tencent has their headquarters in Shenzhen.

TikTok owner ByteDance sued Tencent Holdings on Tuesday, alleging that its Shenzhen-based rival was violating Chinese antitrust laws by blocking access to content from Douyin, the domestic version of TikTok.

ByteDance is seeking 90 million yuan (US$14 million) in compensation for what the company said is Tencent’s practice of blocking links to Douyin on the WeChat and QQ messaging platforms.

“We believe that competition is better for consumers and promotes innovation,” a ByteDance representative said. “We have filed this lawsuit to protect our rights and those of our users.”

Tencent said on one of its official WeChat public accounts that it did not receive documents regarding the lawsuit, adding that ByteDance’s allegations are “untrue” and “malicious slander.” Tencent also vowed to countersue its rival, alleging ByteDance has damaged its platform ecosystem and violated user rights.

The episode is the latest in an ongoing spat between the two Chinese entertainment giants.

Yesterday, ByteDance pushed back against rumours that Douyin was also blocking links to WeChat and QQ, alleging that the reports were a coordinated campaign targeting the platform.