• After an 18-month suspension, Didi was given approval to relaunch its app in China on Monday, 16th January 2023.
• Didi was pulled down from China’s App Stores due to allegations of illegally collecting user data.
• Didi responded by making “corrections” to its cross-border data practices in order to address the “national security concerns” raised by the regulators.
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing finally received the greenlight from regulators to relaunch its app in China after an 18-month suspension. The company, which offers multiple app-based services such as food delivery, ride-hailing, and more, was faced with allegations of illegally collecting user data in July 2021, which resulted in the Chinese authorities authorizing the country’s app stores to delist Didi.
Before the relaunch of user registration, existing users of the Didi app used it as long as they had it on their phones, as the company had served around 493 million, annual active users, and was involved in about 41 million daily transactions. After the suspension, Didi responded to the “national security concerns” raised by the regulators by making “corrections” to its cross-border data practices.
These corrections have allowed the company to relaunch its app on Monday, 16th January 2023. This is a major step forward for Didi, as the company had raised about $4 billion following its debut in one of the US’s largest initial public offerings (IPOs) before being pulled down from China’s App Stores.
With the relaunch of the app, Didi is looking to regain its pre-suspension user base and improve its services to ensure that its users enjoy a safe and reliable experience. The company is also looking to develop new services, such as its new car-sharing service, which it launched in October 2021.
Didi’s relaunch will also be a major boost for the Chinese ride-hailing industry, as the company is the largest player in the market. The company is expected to face stiff competition from its rivals, such as Meituan and Shouqi, which have been operating in the country since the suspension of Didi.
With the relaunch of the app, Didi is looking to reignite its business in China and become the leading player in the country’s ride-hailing industry once again.