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The Trump administration is apparently investigating the data collection policies of US companies linked to Tencent, following sanctions on Tencent’s WeChat app earlier this year. Bloomberg informs that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has sent letters to League of Legends Riot studio and Fortnite maker of Epic Games, asking about “its security protocols in the handling of personal data of Americans.”
Tencent owns Riot and has a minority stake in Epic, as well as many other companies, some of which Bloomberg he says he also received letters. The report does not elaborate on the specific questions being asked, but matches the general concern that Chinese government agencies may have access to private data collected by applications on US soil.
The news came shortly before the US Department of Commerce issued an order forcing app stores to remove WeChat and the TikTok app from ByteDance on September 20. People who have installed TikTok can use it until at least November 12, after the US presidential election, but WeChat is being hit with technical restrictions that make it difficult to function. Fortnite in fact, it’s not available in the iOS and Android app stores right now, but that’s due to a separate legal fight involving in-app purchase policies.
The Trump administration hasn’t gone after other big Tencent properties so far, avoiding popular games like League of Legends. However, the CFIUS investigation could indicate increased scrutiny of companies with ties to Tencent.
