Didi Global has suspended plans to expand in Europe partly because of concerns over how the Chinese ride-hailing company handles passenger data.
Plans to challenge Uber in Europe, including several British cities, have been tabled and some jobs will be cut. The European expansion will be paused for at least a year, according to the Telegraph, which earlier reported the news of the suspension.
“We have established an international talent hub in the UK, recognising the exceptional quality of people in the market,” a company representative said. “Beyond that, any personnel matters remain strictly confidential.”
The Didi representative also said that the company will “continue to explore additional new markets”, and had recently launched services in South Africa, Ecuador and Kazakhstan.
The Chinese transport company had initially considered extending its services to European markets such as the UK, France and Germany during the first half of this year, Bloomberg reported in February.
At the time, the company was hiring locally and setting up a team dedicated to Europe, they said.
News that the company, which is dominant in China, might be expanding sent shares of potential rivals such as Uber and Berlin-based Delivery Hero lower.
Didi began offering car-hailing services in Russia last year, marking its first direct foray into Europe, and it is already an investor in Estonia-based Bolt Technology OU.
But since then, China's regulators began clamping down on ride-hailing fees.
The new restrictions could cut Didi’s margin in the business in half and “accelerate an exit from unprofitable international markets where it faces unrelenting competition in ride sharing”, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts wrote in a report.
“Didi’s position internationally in markets such as Australia and Europe is fairly weak while marketing costs to acquire users from rivals may sustain hefty losses. With much smaller domestic profits to offset international losses, Didi may need to rethink its international strategy,” said the analysts, Matthew Kanterman and Tiffany Tam.
Last month, Didi said it would halt registration of new users during a Chinese government review into its cyber security practices. The Cyberspace Administration of China said the move is to prevent data security risks and protect national security and the public interest.
In an article in the Times earlier this month, UK MPs had also called for Didi’s expansion into the country to be closely monitored over concerns that China could have access to local user data.
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
GAC GS8 Specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
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Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'
Huddersfield 0
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
