China isn’t letting Tencent update its apps or release new ones as part of its crackdown on big tech

• Tech giant Tencent was told to stop releasing new apps and updates last week.
• State authorities said Tencent’s products had violated regulations and launched an inspection.
• Inspections are expected to last until the end of 2021, but current versions of Tencent’s apps still work.

Beijing has instructed Chinese tech giant Tencent to stop releasing any new apps or app updates so that the authorities can inspect its products, according to reports from multiple local outlets.

The government is imposing “transitive administrative guidelines” on Tencent after nine of its products were found to have violated regulations, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said, per state outlet China Daily.

Its decision on Wednesday comes as China introduced a new privacy law this month that restricts what companies and individuals can do with personal data — the latest in the country’s crackdown on big tech’s once-unchecked growth.

The inspection period, and thus the suspension of updates, is expected to continue until the end of 2021, BBC reported.

However, the current versions of all of Tencent’s apps are still downloadable and usable. It owns several apps including WeChat, which has over a billion active users, and messaging platform QQ.

“We are continuously working to enhance user protection features within our apps, and also have regular cooperation with relevant government agencies to ensure regulatory compliance. Our apps remain functional and available for download,” said Tencent in a statement, according to China Daily.

Tencent did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.