Tencent in spy claims

Hopes that relations between China and the US might become less hostile once Donald Trump exited the White House were dashed on the evening of President Joe Biden’s inauguration when reports emerged of a lawsuit launched by a group of Californians against Tencent.

The plaintiffs allege that Tencent’s WeChat mobile app has censored and surveilled them and shared their data with Chinese authorities.

The Washington Post reports the lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, claims Tencent’s practices violate the plaintiffs’ freespeech and private rights and enriches Tencent at the expense of California WeChat users.

“The case is another sign of the mounting scrutiny of WeChat, a popular communication tool in China that is also used by millions of Mandarin speakers around the globe,” said the newspaper.

The Trump administration had tried to ban WeChat on the grounds that it posed a national security threat because it collects “vast swaths” of data on users and offers the Chinese Communist Party an avenue for censoring or distorting information.

Although the former administration abandoned that attempt, political analysts believe some version of it might be resuscitated by the Biden administration.

‘Real fear’

In the lawsuit the Californian plaintiffs say they “feel real fear that the [Chinese] Party-state or its agents will retaliate against them or their family and that, as a result, they self censor, despite the fact they live in California”.

The lawsuit’s list of allegations include that Tencent has turned over Californian WeChat users’ data and communications to Chinese authorities, censored and surveilled WeChat users in the state, and suspended and blocked their accounts after they have posted material critical of China.

They allege Tencent profited by using their data and communications to improve its censorship and surveillance algorithms.

According to The Washington Post Chinese authorities require Tencent to heavily censor WeChat.

SA’s Naspers, the largest Tencent shareholder with a 31% stake worth over $145 billion (close to R2.2 trillion), said it would not comment on the legal action.

The lawsuit will draw attention to growing concerns about the Chinese government’s ability and willingness to monitor individuals outside of China.