China Tells Apple to Remove Ride-Hailing App Didi Chuxing From App Store for Data Violations

Apple has been informed by China's cyberspace regulator that it must remove the Didi Chuxing ride hailing app from the Chinese App Store following concerns about the Uber rival's possible misuse of personal data. Apple CEO Tim Cook with Didi Chuxing president Jean Liu in 2016The app in question is owned by Didi Global, which Apple has $1 billion invested in. The decision means that Apple and other app store operators on other platforms will have to remove the Didi Chuxing from their listings. The "Unusually swift" decision is said to have come just two days after the regulator said it was conducting a cybersecurity review of Didi Global Inc. The ban was effective immediately, but users who downloaded the app before Sunday are still able to order rides and other services. Didi said it had already halted new user registrations as of July 3 and was now working to rectify its app in accordance with regulatory requirements. Following its investment, Apple was given a Didi Chuxing board seat. It's unclear what impact the ban could have on Apple's stake in Didi, but the decision follows broader moves by Beijing to curb the influence of China's largest internet corporations and tighten the ownership of the personal data of hundreds of millions of users held by the likes of Alibaba, Tencent, and others.