WeChat has banned three social networking apps from its platform

The battlefield of social media apps is bristling with shining bayonets. Tencent reported yesterday that it has blocked three major rivals being or going to be thriving on its platform in one day, which includes Douyin (TikTok)’s sister messaging app Duoshan, Smartisan-backed Liaotianbao and a newly emerged but anonymous one, Matong. Despite the official statement claiming restrictions are being applied to protect users’ privacy and legal rights, observers tend to see the ban as WeChat’s aim at self-protection, since the apps impose potential threats to its ongoing as well as planned services. However, anxiety about market growth could be exacerbated if the protection mechanism adopted by leading services goes to the extreme.