WeChat denies storing user chats

One of the most popular messenger app, China’s WeChat has totally denied that the app stores any kind of user data or chat history. The statement came in response to the businessman claiming that he believed that Tencent monitors every user’s account.

WeChat said, “WeChat does not store any users’ chat history. That is only stored in users’ mobiles, computers, and other terminals. WeChat will not use any content from user chats for big data analysis. Because of WeChat’s technical model that does not store or analyze user chats, the rumor that ‘we are watching your WeChat everyday’ is a pure misunderstanding.”

Geely Holdings Chairman and owner of the Volvo car brand Li Shufu quoted that Tencent Chairman Ma Huateng “must be watching all our WeChats every day”.

Now as per Chinese laws, all the social media apps in China along with WeChat are required to censor those public posts that are considered “illegal” by the Communist Party. As per the privacy policy of WeChat, it may have to contain or disclose information about any user only “in response to a request by a government authority, law enforcement agency or similar body”.

Now WeChat did not further comment on its statement. As per a report by Amnesty International, Tencent is ranked at the bottom of 11 tech-related companies controlling the most famous messenger apps around the globe for using encryption to protect user privacy.

Read also: Tencent beats Facebook

In September China’s cyber watchdog made a rule that the chat group admins are responsible for any content rule breaches. Moreover, penalties were given to firms including Tencent, Baidu Inc and Weibo Corp for not properly censoring online content.