Guangdong authority orders Tencent, Xpeng, other tech firms to amend apps over cybersecurity concerns
- More than 70 per cent of the 201 apps reprimanded by the Guangdong Communications Administration failed to specify the purpose, means and scope of data collection
- Up to 40 per cent were found to have collected personal information before receiving user consent
The communications authority in southern Guangdong province has cracked down on the operation of 209 apps, including seven run by internet giant Tencent Holdings and one from electric car maker Xpeng, over privacy and security concerns amid China’s renewed drive against misuse of consumer data.
The Guangdong Communications Administration in November and December last year ordered 201 of those apps to be rectified for infringing user rights and posing as cybersecurity risks across a range of categories, including video games, retail, and banking and finance, according to a notice on the agency’s website on Monday. It said eight other apps were directed to shut down.
More than 70 per cent of the 209 apps reprimanded by the Guangdong authority failed to specify the purpose, means and scope of data collection, while up to 40 per cent were found to have collected personal information before receiving user consent, according to the announcement.
Three Tencent apps, including that of video player QQ Yingyin, were punished for accessing smartphone data when activated for the first time before getting user consent. The other Tencent apps were found to have no default privacy policy agreement, among various issues.
The app of Guangzhou-based Xpeng was found to contain risks for interface hijack by accessing data before the users read and agreed to its privacy terms.
Tencent and Xpeng did not immediately respond to requests for comment.