China blocks Didi Chuxing from all app stores over misuse of user data

Current half-bn users can order rides if they downloaded the app before Sunday

China’s cyberspace regulator ordered app stores to remove Didi Chuxing, dealing a major blow to a ride-hailing giant that just days ago pulled off one of the largest US initial public offerings (IPOs) of the past decade. The Cyberspace Administration of China announced the ban Sunday, citing serious violations on Didi Global’s collection and usage of personal information, without elaborating. That unusually swift decision came two days after the regulator said it was starting a cybersecurity review of the company.

That effectively requires the largest app stores in China, operated by the likes of Apple and smartphone makers Huawei Technologies and