Tencent Opens WeChat To Rivals' Links as App Walls Crumble

Tencent allowed users of its main WeChat social media service to link to rivals' content for the first time in years, taking initial steps to comply with Beijing's call to dismantle walls around platforms run by the country's online giants. From a report: From Friday, users who upgrade to the latest version of the messaging service can access external services such as Alibaba's Taobao online mall or ByteDance's video app Douyin, both of which were previously walled off from WeChat's billion-plus members. That applies however only to one-on-one messaging, not group chats nor Facebook-like Moments pages.

While it's unclear whether the social giant has opened up more of its scores of online services, it's a major step for Tencent, which along with Alibaba and ByteDance controls vast swathes of China's internet. In a statement announcing the move Friday, Tencent said it will also provide ways for its users to report suspicious content, and work on features for sharing links in wider group discussions. China's top technology regulator has warned internet firms to stop blocking links to rival services, prising open so-called walled gardens in a broader campaign to curb their growing monopoly on data and protect consumers. The government has accused a handful of companies of unfairly protecting their respective spheres: Tencent in social media via WeChat, Alibaba in e-commerce with Taobao and Tmall and, more recently, ByteDance in video via TikTok-cousin Douyin.

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