Tech Roundup: Didi Chuxing China Trouble, E.U. Apple Warning & More

[A recurring feature on the latest in Science & Technology.]

• China's Cyberspace Administration orders app stores to remove Didi Chuxing's ride-hailing app until further notice, alleging serious violations in the collection and usage of personal information, just two days after the regulator launched a cybersecurity review into the company and four days after its blockbuster initial public offering in New York Stock Exchange; mandates Didi, which has s 377 million active users in China, to take corrective measures and to comply with regulations, as the goverment intensifies its crackdown on big tech companies in the country, including U.S.-listed Boss Zhipin and subsidiaries of Full Truck Alliance with a focus on anti-competitive practices and "prevent national data security risks."
• The European Commission warns Apple against using privacy and security concerns as a shield to block sideloading apps and fend off App Store competition; comes as Spain's competition watchdog CNMC says it is investigating possible anti-competitive practices by Apple and Amazon over sales of Apple products on Amazon.
• Norway passes new legislation requiring ads and sponsored posts from celebrities and influencers that use manipulated or retouched images of body parts (e.g., enlarged lips, narrowed waists, and exaggerated muscles) be marked with a standardised label designed by the Norwegian Ministry of Children and Family Affairs; violations to be made punishable with escalating fines and even imprisonment.

• OnePlus to merge codebases of OxygenOS and Oppo's ColorOS after the former announced plans to further integrate its business with its sister company (Both OnePlus and Oppo, alongside Realme and Vivo, are owned by BBK Electronics); commits to three years of Android updates and four years of security updates for flagship OnePlus devices, with OxygenOS remaining the "global" OS for the handset maker.
• Opera becomes first third-party browser to be fully optimised for Chromebooks, with built-in access to messaging apps, free built-in VPN, and a cryptocurrency wallet.
• Facebook begins testing a Twitter-like 'threads' feature on select public figures' pages, allowing individuals to "add another post to any previous one."
• Nexperia, a Dutch chip firm owned by China's Wingtech, announces plans to acquire U.K.'s largest chip producer Newport Wafer Fab in a deal worth around US$ 87 million.
• Asia Internet Coalition, a tech alliance including Facebook, Google and Twitter, warns Hong Kong that companies would stop operating in the territory if officials move forward with data protection law amendments that could hold companies liable for doxxing campaigns.