China suspends Tencent from updating existing apps or launching new apps: report

China has suspended Tencent Holdings from updating its existing apps or launching any new apps as part of a “temporary administrative guidance” against the tech giant, Chinese media outlets including Shanghai-based Chinastarmarket.cn, reported.

According to the report, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has told app stores and platforms to implement the order against Tencent apps from Wednesday in a harsh administrative punishment against the tech giant, which runs dozens of apps including the super app WeChat that has 1.2 billion users.

Tencent said in a statement that it is cooperating with the authorities on inspecting its apps, indirectly confirming the report.

There are more than 70 apps published by Tencent that are active and there are more than 100 games published by Tencent Mobile Games, according to app tracking firm Qimai.

It is not known how long the suspension will last and the Chinese ministry has not published any information about the ban.

“We are continuously working to enhance user protection features within our apps, and also have regular cooperation with relevant government agencies to ensure regulatory compliance. Our apps remain functional and available for download,” Tencent said in its statement.

The regulatory move comes amid Beijing’s ongoing scrutiny of the country’s tech sector. Beijing has been turbocharging its legislative efforts to regulate data in the country, having enacted the Cybersecurity Law in 2017, followed by the Data Security Law this September, which requires firms to undergo a security assessment to gain approval before sending user data overseas.