Jan 13 – Chinese authorities are poised to allow Didi Global’s horse-riding and other apps back onto domestic app stores starting next week, five sources told Reuters, in another sign that their two-year regulatory crackdown on the technology sector ends.
Didi is awaiting approval from authorities to resume new user registrations and downloads of its 25 banned apps in China as a key step to resume normal business since its regulatory troubles began in mid-2021.
The lifting of the new user ban and the relaunch of its flagship app and other services could happen before the Lunar New Year, which begins on January 22, four sources said.
A week-long holiday period in China would help Didi start attracting new clients for the business and work to get it back to normal, the two sources added.
The lifting of the ban on Didi’s app would come as Chinese policymakers seek to restore private sector confidence and count on the tech industry to help spur economic activity that has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The app restoration would also signal that Didi has completed its nearly two-year overhaul led by regulators, and comes after the powerful cyber watchdog Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) fined the company $1.2 billion in July.
Didi did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The CAC and the State Council Information Office, which handles media inquiries for the government, did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.