Tencent opens WeChat to rivals’ links as China app walls crumble


QR codes for digital payment services Alipay by Ant Group Co and WeChat Pay by Tencent Holdings Ltd displayed at a snack shop in Beijing, China. China’s top technology regulator has warned Internet firms to stop blocking links to rival services, prising open so-called walled gardens in a broader campaign to curb their growing monopoly on data and protect consumers. — Bloomberg

Tencent Holdings Ltd allowed users of its main WeChat social media service to link to rivals’ content for the first time in years, taking initial steps to comply with Beijing’s call to dismantle walls around platforms run by the country’s online giants.

From Friday, users who upgrade to the latest version of the messaging service can access external services such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s Taobao online mall or ByteDance Ltd’s video app Douyin, both of which were previously walled off from WeChat’s billion-plus members. That applies however only to one-on-one messaging, not group chats nor Facebook-like Moments pages.

Subscribe or renew your subscriptions to win prizes worth up to RM68,000!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

Sirius XM found liable in New York lawsuit over subscription cancellations
US Supreme Court tosses case involving securities fraud suit against Facebook
Amazon doubles down on AI startup Anthropic with $4 billion investment
Factbox-Who are bankrupt Northvolt's creditors?
UK should use new powers to probe Apple-Google mobile browser duopoly, report says
EU regulators scrap probe into Apple's e-book rules after complaint was withdrawn
Hyundai recalls over 145,000 electrified US vehicles on loss of drive power
'World of Warcraft' still going strong as it celebrates 20 years
Northvolt CEO steps down, saying group needs up to $1.2 billion
Bitcoin at record highs, sets sights on $100,000

Others Also Read