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"WeChat does not store any users' chat history. That is only
stored in users' mobiles, computers and other terminals," WeChat
said in a post on the social media platform.
"WeChat will not use any content from user chats for big data
analysis. Because of WeChat's technical model that does not
store or analyze user chats, the rumor that 'we are watching
your WeChat everyday' is pure misunderstanding."
Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Holdings, owner of the Volvo car
brand, was quoted in Chinese media on Monday as saying Tencent
Chairman Ma Huateng "must be watching all our WeChats every
day".
Like all Chinese social media platforms, WeChat is required to
censor public posts deemed "illegal" by the Communist Party.
WeChat's privacy policy says it may need to retain and disclose
users' information "in response to a request by a government
authority, law enforcement agency or similar body".
WeChat did not immediately respond to a request for further
comment.
According to a report by Amnesty International, Tencent ranked
at the bottom of 11 tech firms running the world's most popular
messenger apps for how they use encryption to protect user
privacy.
China's cyber watchdog in September announced a new rule making
chat group administrators and companies accountable for breaches
of content rules.
In the same month it handed down maximum penalties to tech firms
including Tencent, Baidu Inc and Weibo Corp for failing to
properly censor online content, and asked them to increase
content auditing measures.
(Reporting by Sijia Jiang; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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