Didi, which was founded nine years ago, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange on the evening of June 30 and was immediately sought after by the capital. Its share price rose sharply, and its market value once exceeded US$80 billion.
A bombshell message rocked the Internet on July 2. According to the WeChat public account “Cyber China”, the Cyber Security Review Office of China conducted a cybersecurity review of “Didi Travel” in accordance with the “Cyber Security Review Measures.”
After the news spread, Didi’s share price plummeted. Some Chinese netizens suspect that as the United States has previously issued regulations that foreign companies must comply with the rules set by the United States when they go public for financing in the United States, did Didi package user data, including road map data, and deliver it to the United States?
“Didi Travel” responded to this on the same day, saying that Didi will actively cooperate with cybersecurity reviews. During the review period, under the supervision and guidance of relevant departments, network security risks will be comprehensively sorted out and investigated, and the network security system and technical capabilities will be continuously improved.
Li Min, vice president of “Didi Travel” and chairman of the Didi Charity Foundation, said on his personal Weibo @liminx on July 3 that he saw someone maliciously spreading rumors on the Internet saying that “Didi is listed overseas and packaged the data to the United States. “. Like many Chinese companies listed overseas, the data of Didi’s Chinese users is stored on domestic servers, and it is absolutely impossible to pass the data to the United States. In addition, although relevant malicious rumors have already taken the initiative to delete posts, they will resolutely sue for rights protection.
Li Min added that it also includes road data, so please don’t speculate maliciously.
Regarding this matter, attorney Li Tianhang, a data compliance expert and senior partner of Huiye Law Firm, pointed out that Didi’s business has two major characteristics. One is that it involves the public transportation industry; the other is that it gathers a large amount of personal information.
Li Tianhang said that in regard to this, either Didi is placed within the framework of the public transportation industry, or it is seen as a critical infrastructure that could seriously jeopardize national security, national livelihood and public interest if it is damaged or the data is leaked.
Li Tianhang continued that the Chinese government issued a notice to conduct a network security review of Didi, which means that the government has identified Didi as a key information infrastructure operator. As for whether this determination is based on the traffic dimension or the dimension of “generating a large amount of information”, the corresponding document shall prevail.
According to the well-known blogger 枪-和玫瑰, a post from the suspected Didi insider “godson” on an Internet forum stated that “before Didi went public, the China Cyberspace Affairs Office had come to Didi for 3 weeks and asked Didi not to go public in the United States, and to provide a listing exit and rectification plan by July 2. However, Cheng Wei, the founder, chairman and CEO of Didi Travel, demanded that it be listed on June 30. The result is not yet known. Therefore, Didi does not allow employees to celebrate or post (relevant information) on WeChat Moments.”