Australian users of popular ride-sharing app DiDi Chuxing (commonly known as DiDi) will not be impacted after the app was removed from Chinese app stores over allegations it had illegally collected users’ personal information.
A DiDi spokesperson told Gizmodo Australia that the data collection issues and the removal of the app from Chinese app stores would not impact Australian consumers.
“All Australian users are unaffected by this,” they said to Gizmodo Australia in an email.
“DiDi will remain on all Australian app stores.”
According to Reuters, China’s cyberspace regulator – the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced on Friday that new registrations for DiDi were suspended while the company was under a “cybersecurity review”, with the app being removed from app stores until it complies with CAC requirements.
However, the CAC didn’t go into specifics as to how DiDi allegedly violated the data collection regulations.
“Didi resolutely implements the relevant requirements of the relevant state departments, and has suspended new user registration on July 3, and the Didi Chuxing App will be removed for rectification in strict accordance with the requirements of the relevant departments,” DiDi said in a translated statement.
“Users who have downloaded the Didi App can use it normally, and passengers’ travel and driver’s orders will not be affected.”
Speaking with Gizmodo Australia, a Didi spokesperson confirmed that the app’s data collection policies are unique to the country in which it operates in, and that it complies to all Australian data and privacy laws and regulations. DiDi’s privacy policy is unique to Australia.
“The DiDi Australia’s data collection policy is unique to Australia and complies with all applicable local laws and regulations regarding privacy and data protection,” a statement from DiDi says.
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The news comes just days after DiDi made its stock market debut with an IPO valuation of $89.6 billion, down from the $132.8 billion it was aiming for.
Following the CAC announcement, which claimed the investigation into DiDi was in the interest of protecting “national security and the public interest”, the company’s share price dropped by 5.3 per cent.
Gizmodo Australia has reached out to Apple for comment regarding DiDi’s position on the App Store.