Tencent halts sign-ups to China message app for 'security upgrade'

WeChat operator says it needs to comply with relevant laws

Weixin is one of the most frequently used mobile applications in China. © AP

NIKKI SUN, Nikkei staff writer

July 27, 2021 18:36 JST

Updated on July 27, 2021 20:35 JST

HONG KONG -- Tencent Holdings has temporarily halted new sign-ups to the widely used Chinese version of its WeChat messaging app, in a sign of how Beijing's tightening regulatory net is affecting the country's tech giants.

Tencent said on Tuesday that new registrations for the Weixin messaging app, which has more than 1 billion users in China, would be suspended to facilitate a security upgrade to meet the latest legal requirements.