ByteDance’s Chinese short video app Douyin has filed a complaint with a court in Beijing to sue Tencent Holdings for monopolistic behavior and asked for 90 million yuan (US$13.94 million) in compensation, Reuters reported on Tuesday, February 2.
Tencent restricts users from sharing Douyin content on its instant messaging apps WeChat and QQ, which should be prohibited by anti-monopoly law, ByteDance stated, adding that it has asked the court to order Tencent to stop such behavior.
“We believe that competition is better for consumers and promotes innovation,” Douyin said in a statement. “We have filed a lawsuit to protect our rights and those of our users.”
Douyin’s lawsuit comes as Chinese regulators step up regulations on tech giants. Beijing issued draft rules in November aimed at preventing monopolistic behavior by internet firms, marking China’s first serious regulatory move against the sector.
The State Administration of Market Regulation in December announced the launch of an antitrust investigation into e-commerce giant Alibaba.
