The Trump administration is reportedly been investigating the data collection policies of American companies linked to Tencent, following sanctions on Tencent app WeChat earlier this year.
Bloomberg reports that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has sent letters to Riot and Epic Games, asking about their security protocols in handling Americans personal data.
Now Tencent owns Riot and has a minority stake in Epic, as well as many other companies, some of whom Bloomberg says also received letters. The report doesn’t elaborate on the specific questions being asked, but it tallies with an overall concern that Chinese government agencies could get access to private data collected by apps on American soil.
However Trump administration hasn’t gone after other big Tencent properties so far, sparing popular games like League of Legends. But CFIUS investigation could indicate greater scrutiny of companies with Tencent links.
