China Names 14 Apps That ‘Excessively Seek User Data’

TRENDING: Baidu Weighs Spinoff of AI Chip Unit for Independent Listing; Nvidia Welcomes U.S. Nod to Sell H200 AI Chips in China; Chinese Chip Heavyweight Abandons Acquisition of Server Firm

LATEST: Chinese Chip Heavyweight Abandons Acquisition of Server Firm; Nvidia Welcomes U.S. Nod to Sell H200 AI Chips in China; Baidu Weighs Spinoff of AI Chip Unit for Independent Listing; Huawei’s Ren Downplays Chip Shortage, Touts AI for Industrial Value; China’s AI Chip Leaders Ride IPO Wave Amid Drive for Tech Self-Sufficiency; Tsing Micro Raises Over 2 Billion Yuan in State-Backed Round as China Ramps Up AI Chip Push; Synthetic Biology at Scale Could Reshape Food and Materials Systems, Expert Says; ByteDance in Talks With Smartphone Makers to Embed AI Assistant; Lenovo Executive Urges AI Startups to Take On Tech Giants; Infinigence AI Raises 500 Million Yuan to Expand Heterogeneous Computing Platform; Alibaba’s Quark Unit Launches AI Glasses Powered by Qianwen Model; Pony AI Plans to Triple Robotaxi Fleet to 3,000 by 2026 as Revenue Jumps; China’s Semiconductor Software Push Gains Traction Amid U.S. Curbs; Alibaba Scales Back Retail Spending, Dismisses AI Bubble Fears; Huawei Slashes Flagship Phone Price Amid Slowing Shipments; China’s CXMT Takes Aim at Global Leaders With High-End DDR5 Memory Chips; Alibaba’s Profit Plunges 72% on Costly Foray Into Instant Retail; Xiaomi, Founder Stem Stock Rout With $115 Million Buyback; Analysis: Soaring Legacy Chip Prices Spark Windfall — and Risk — Across Supply Chain; Alibaba, Ant Race to Catch Rivals in China’s AI App Boom

By Zhao Runhua / Dec 31, 2018 11:26 AM / Politics & Law

Photo: VCG

Apps are hungry for your data. Some of them are a little too hungry.

The Internet Society of China (ISC), a non-governmental organization backed by China’s internet watchdog, has just released a list of 14 apps (see below) that seek to "excessively collect user data.”

ISC urged app developers on the list to contact the agency as soon as possible to discuss their user privacy issues. Investigators will then release follow-up actions they deem necessary.

This isn’t the first red flag waved about potentially data-violating apps in China. On Nov. 28, the China Consumers Association said that 91 out 100 apps it tested had problems related to excessive collection of user data.

14 Apps That Excessively Sought User Data, According to ISC:

App	Version	Issue
QQ Music	V8.9.1.4	Excessive text message solicitations
Kuwo Music	V9.0.7.2	Excessive text message solicitations
NetEase News	V48.1	Excessive voice recording requests
Shuqi Novel (online reading site backed by Alibaba)	V10.7.4.72	Excessive location identification requests
Ctrip Travel	V8.0.1	Excessive contact list requests
Tongcheng Travel (ly.com) (affiliate of Tencent-backed Hong Kong-listed Tongcheng-Elong	V9.0.7	Excessive text message solicitations
Kuaishou (Tencent and Sequoia Capital China backed short video sharing app)	V5.11.1.7527	Excessive text message solicitations
Tmall	V7.9.0	Excessive text message solicitations
Huya Livestream	V6.8.2	Excessive text message solicitations
Huajiao Livestream	V6.6.5.1017	Excessive user contact list requests
Panda Livestream (Panda.tv)	V4.4.40.8058	Excessive text message requests
Youdao (online dictionary backed by NetEase)	V7.7.3	Excessive location identification requests
Youdao Translator	V3.7.6	Excessive location identification requests
Wannengkan (web browser assistance backed by Baidu)	V9.5.3	Collecting personal information without user approval

Data from http://www.isc.org.cn

Share this article

Open WeChat and scan the QR code