Chinese regulator fines Didi Global $1.19 billion for data security breaches

China’s cybersecurity regulator on Thursday fined Didi Global 8.026 billion yuan ($1.19 billion) for breaches of data security and user privacy, concluding a year-long review.

In addition, the company’s CEO Cheng Wei and chairman Liu Qing were fined 1 million yuan each.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) discovered 16 illegal activities committed by the ride-sharing giant, including illegal collection of screenshot information from users’ mobile phone albums and excessive collection of user information. users clipboard.

It also found that the company had collected facial recognition information from passengers and their exact location when the app was running in the background.

Additionally, the cybersecurity review found instances of Didi’s data processing activities seriously affecting national security.

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“Didi’s illegal operations have posed a serious risk to the security of China’s key information infrastructures and data security,” a CAC official said in an interview published alongside the ruling.

The official added that Didi had seriously violated laws and regulations and should be severely punished.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) discovered 16 illegal activities committed by the ride-sharing giant

The official specified that the violations had begun as early as June 2015 and have lasted for seven years, defying regulatory instructions to rectify. Didi repeatedly violated the Cybersecurity Law implemented in June 2017, the Data Security Law implemented in September 2021 and the Personal Information Protection Law which entered into force in November 2021.

Regulators found that Didi has illegally processed a massive amount of more than 64 billion pieces of personal information.

Didi Global said in a statement after the fine that it sincerely accepts the decision and will make corrections.

Article republished from the Chinese state media CGTN within the framework of an agreement between both parties to share content. Link to original article:https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-07-21/China-fines-Didi-Global-1-19b-over-data-security-violations-1bQExCf3xpm/index.html