Chinese delivery service company Didi was fined $1.2 billion

BEIJING (AFP) - China 's Internet regulator Thursday fined local delivery giant Didi $1.2 billion, accusing it of breaches of customer data.

The Chinese authority responsible for cyberspace said in a statement that it had "conclusive evidence" that Didi had repeatedly violated Chinese law, particularly with regard to internet security and personal data protection.

The fine that the company must pay was set at 8.03 billion yuan (about $1.2 billion). And through a calculation conducted by Agence France-Presse, it was found that this amount represents 4.6% of the company’s annual revenue for the year 2021.

In its statement, the Chinese authority accuses Didi of storing personal information belonging to more than 57 million drivers illegally and in an insufficiently secure format.

The company was also accused of analyzing passenger data without their knowledge, including photos from their mobile phones.

"Although the regulatory authorities have ordered Didi to rectify its practices, the company has not made any comprehensive and significant rectifications," said the Chinese authority responsible for cyberspace.

She confirmed that the company's violation of the law took place over a period of seven years and began in June 2015.

In total, the authority accuses Didi of violating three laws: the one related to cyber security, the data protection law, and the personal information protection law.

As for the company, it indicated on Thursday that it agreed to pay the fine, indicating that it will implement everything that the authority requests.