China's online regulator orders removal of 25 Didi mobile apps

Cyberspace Administration of China says apps for its delivery service, camera device and a finance app all collected data illegally

Didi's shares lost $21.5 billion in three trading sessions last week following a regulatory crackdown in its home market. Bloomberg

China's cyberspace administration will remove 25 mobile apps operated by Didi Global from app stores as the government stepped up a crackdown on the ride-hailing giant.

The apps in question used data illegally collected by Didi and include those for its delivery service, camera device and finance services, the Cyberspace Administration of China said.

Last week, just days after Didi's $4.4 billion listing on the New York Stock Exchange, the cyberspace regulator ordered app stores to remove Didi's main ride-hailing app.

It also told Didi to stop registering new users as it launched a probe into the company, citing national security and the public interest.

Didi shares trimmed gains to around 4 per cent after the latest announcement on Friday, having earlier been trading up more than 9 per cent.

The company lost about $21.5 billion in market value in three sessions this week on fears of a fallout from China's increased scrutiny on domestic technology companies and firms listed overseas.