Didi abandons Western Europe roll out amid regulatory backlash in China
Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi has halted plans to commence operations in both the UK and Europe amid a backdrop of a regulatory backlash over data privacy back home.
The Uber rival, which was planning on rolling out services across Western Europe, was now in consultation with staff working on the project in regards to reassigning them to new roles or making potential redundancies.
Didi said in a statement: "We have established an international talent hub in the UK, recognising the exceptional quality of people in the market. Beyond that, any personnel matters remain strictly confidential."
Didi, which has recently expanded its international business into South Africa, Ecuador and Kazakhstan, opted to pull the plug on the move as Chinese firms have faced intense scrutiny by Western nations of late and as Beijing cracks down on data privacy.
"We continue to explore additional new markets, liaising with relevant stakeholders in each and being thoughtful about when to introduce our services," said Didi.