ByteDance Sues Arch-Rival Tencent Over Alleged Monopolies
- ByteDance accuses Tencent of blocking Douyin content
- Lawsuit comes as China steps up scrutiny over tech monopolies
Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg
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ByteDance Ltd. sued Tencent Holdings Ltd. over alleged monopolies in its WeChat and QQ platforms, escalating a feud between the leading Chinese social media giants.
The TikTok owner filed a lawsuit in Beijing on Tuesday, claiming that Tencent had allegedly violated Chinese antitrust laws by blocking access to content from Douyin, the Chinese twin of its globally popular short video app, on WeChat and QQ. It’s asking the court to order Tencent to cease its actions and pay 90 million yuan ($14 million) in compensation.