Didi app pulled from stores in China after suspension order

Didi’s app has been removed from Chinese app stores after Beijing issued a suspension order over concerns from regulators regarding user data collection.

China issued the ban on Sunday through the nation’s cyberspace administration which said that Didi was illegally collecting users’ personal data.

The decision to ban Didi's app followed the opening of the probe during the previous week on claims of “national security” worries.

The app has already disappeared from several stores including Apple’s App Store in China and the company has been ordered to make changes to comply with the country’s data protection rules.

Users that already have the app in China can still use it but new registrations have been halted. The app had 156m monthly users in the first quarter.

The ride-hailing giant raised $4bn of fresh equity via its flotation on the New York Stock Exchange on 30 June.

The Cyberspace Administration of China continues with its focus on big tech companies and opened a cybersecurity review on Monday into Yunmanman and Huochebang, companies under New York-listed Full Truck Alliance and Boss Zhipin.

The regulator said that the probe had been opened to “prevent national data security risks”.