Chinese e-commerce company Meituan came under fire for 'intensive' location tracking of its users. 

A local gadget review blogger discovered that the app had been tracking his location even when he was not using it, and had taken to social media to complain. His post quickly went viral.

Meituan was also dragged into the spotlight by Wang Sicong, online influencer and son of Dalian Wanda Group’s founder. Wang claims he was locked out of his account on Meituan's Dazhong Dianping restaurants and review service, when it was linked to another user’s mobile phone number.

The company’s practices sparked controversy about its approach to user privacy, and a broader discussion about data rights and the extent to which technology companies should be allowed to track user location. 

Timeline ⏰

• October 2021. Meituan was fined Yuan 3.44 billion (USD 534 million) by Chinese regulators for antitrust violations.

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.ithome.com/0/579/893.htm

• https://technode.com/2021/10/11/meituan-faces-data-privacy-controversy-after-antitrust-fine/

• https://www.verdict.co.uk/china-meituan-clickfood-crackdown-533m-fine-sends-shares-up-by-8/

• https://kr-asia.com/major-mobile-apps-in-china-extensively-mine-personal-data-sparking-social-media-outrage

• https://thewisemarketer.com/loyalty-newswire/loyalty-newswire-october-11th-2021/

• https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3151942/chinese-tycoons-socially-influential-son-adds-meituans-antitrust-woes