The Didi app has been canceled in China by Reuters for data protection

BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s cyberspace administration said on Sunday it had ordered smartphone app stores to stop selling the Didi Global Inc. app because Didi had illegally collected users’ personal data.

The Chinese Cyberspace Administration () said in a feed on its social media that Didi had ordered changes to comply with China’s data protection rules. He did not specify the whereabouts of Didi’s violation.

Didi responded by stopping registering new users and removing his app from stores. He said he would make changes to comply with the rules and protect the rights of users.

Chinese regulators have tightened rules in recent years to collect data from major technology storage companies.

The CAC on Friday announced an investigation into Didi to protect its “national security and public interest” two days after the company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Didi provides services in China and more than 15 other markets, collecting a wide range of real-time data on mobility on a daily basis. It uses some data to analyze autonomous driving technologies and traffic.

Founded by Will Cheng in 2012, the company has already had regulatory probes in China regarding safety and operating permits.

Didi set out important Chinese regulations in his IPO brochure and said, “We follow strict procedures when it comes to collecting, transmitting, storing and using user data in accordance with our data security and privacy policies.”