Weixin Privacy Protection Guidelines
Last Updated On: May 9, 2025
Effective On: May 9, 2025
In order to fully protect your rights, we have updated the Weixin Privacy Protection Guidelines (hereinafter referred to as "this Policy"), with the new version containing the following updates:
1. In Section 1 "Information We Collect and Use", we have provided more detailed disclosures on the personalized recommendation mechanisms for Official Accounts, Service Accounts, Mini Programs, and other features. We've also illustrated the mechanisms and toggle options for personalized recommendations for features such as "Listen", "Ask", and Weixin Stickers. Additionally, we've further clarified the collection and use of personal information in scenarios such as Weixin Account and Channels Account security, and application auto-start.
2. We have made corresponding updates to other parts of this Policy to reflect changes in functionality and user interactions, such as updating the user guide for exercising rights in Section 5 "Your Rights".
Introduction
Weixin is a social networking product provided by Shenzhen Tencent Computer Systems Company Limited (registered address: 35/F., Tencent Building, Kejizhongyi Avenue, Maling Community, Yuehai Street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen; hereafter referred to as "we", "us" or "Tencent") (For the purposes of this Policy, "Weixin" refers specifically to the domestic version of the product, which is distinct from its overseas version "WeChat". Weixin and WeChat Users are distinguished by their mobile numbers: users who register with a Mainland China mobile number are Weixin users, while all others are WeChat users. All provisions concerning personal information processing and protection in this Policy exclusively apply to Weixin). Weixin Privacy Protection Guidelines Summary and this Policy are designed to inform you of how we collect, use, and store your personal information, as well as your rights in relation to it. Here are the main points:
i. We will describe, on a case-by-case basis, the types of personal information we collect from you and their corresponding purposes, so that you can be aware of the categories of personal information we collect for a particular feature, the reasons for its use, and methods of its collection.
ii. When you use certain features, we will collect your sensitive personal information after obtaining your consent. For example, when you use "Find Mobile Contacts", we will collect your mobile contacts' information. Unless the provision of such information is required by applicable laws and regulations, refusing to provide such information will only result in your inability to use the related features, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin.
iii. We will not proactively share or transfer your personal information to a third party outside Tencent. If there are any other circumstances involving the sharing or transfer of your personal information, or if you require us to share or transfer your personal information to a third party outside Tencent, we will directly seek your explicit consent or verify that the third party has obtained your explicit consent for the aforementioned actions, unless such sharing or transfer is required by laws and regulations, or is necessary to protect the rights and interests of users or the security of the Weixin ecosystem. In addition, we will assess the risks of sharing or transferring such information to a third party.
iv. We will not proactively request your personal information from a third party outside Tencent. If it is necessary for us to obtain your personal information from a third party for business purposes, we will verify the legitimacy of the source in accordance with the law, or explicitly inform you of the source, type, and scope of use of your personal information prior to its acquisition. If we need to use your personal information collected from a third party beyond the scope of your original authorization to the third party, we will seek your explicit consent before processing such information. In addition, we will strictly comply with the applicable laws and regulations, and require the third party to ensure the legality of the information they provide.
v. You can access, modify, copy, and delete your personal information, or withdraw your consent, delete your account, file a complaint or report, and manage your privacy settings, including Personalized Ads, through the channels or methods listed herein.
vi. In order to collect your information under this Policy, provide you with services, optimize our services, and protect the security of your account, we will need to request relevant permissions from you. Sensitive permissions such as contacts, location, camera, microphone, and photo album will not be enabled by default. We will only access or use them within the scope of your explicit consent. For the permissions you have already granted us, you can also go to "Me" > "Settings" > "My Information & Authorizations" > "System Permissions" to view the types of system permissions we have accessed or used, the purposes for which we use them, and manage these permissions in a unified manner.
It is important to note that obtaining a sensitive permission does not necessarily mean that we will collect your relevant information. Even if we have obtained sensitive permissions, we will only collect your information within the necessary scope and in accordance with this Policy during your use of the relevant services or features.
For more information, please refer to the following sections:
1. Information We Collect and Use
1. Information We Collect and Use
During your use of Weixin services, we will collect and use the personal information that you actively provide when using the services, or that is generated as a result of using the services, as described below:
1.1 When you register for a Weixin account, we will collect and use your alias, profile photo, and mobile number. The purpose of collecting this information is to complete your registration process, enable you to use Weixin features such as social networking, and protect the security of your account. The purpose of collecting and using your mobile number is to comply with the applicable laws and regulations regarding the real-name authentication . If you do not provide such information, you may be unable to use our services normally. Optionally, you may choose to provide your gender, region, QQ ID, email address and other information based on your needs. You may also choose to provide us with your voice biometrics information to use the Voiceprint feature. This information is considered sensitive personal information; refusing to provide it will only make the Voiceprint feature unavailable to you, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin.
1.2 During your use of Weixin services, in order to ensure that you can use our services normally, maintain the normal operation of the services, improve and optimize user experience, and protect the security of your account, we will collect and use your information such as your device model, operating system, device identifier (e.g., AndroidID/OAID for Android devices, IDFA for iOS devices prior to iOS 14.5), login IP address, Weixin version number, network connection method, type, and status (e.g., SSID and BSSID), network quality data, device accelerators (such as gravity sensors), operation logs, and service logs (such as your search and viewing history in Weixin, service failure information, and referral URLs). Additionally, to prevent viruses, Trojan programs, or other malicious software and websites, we may collect information about the applications installed or uninstalled on your device, currently running processes, or data stored in your device's memory, in order to prevent the leakage of your personal information.
To ensure the operational integrity of the Weixin platform and the security of user accounts, during the registration or use of your Weixin account, if security risks are detected (including but not limited to risks associated with your account registration or linked mobile number), we may collect your ID card number for real-name authentication in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
When security risks are detected in your Weixin account, or when you perform account-sensitive operations (e.g., password recovery, logins from new devices, or account unfreezing/unblocking requests), we may require you to provide your name, ID card number, and perform face recognition verification to confirm that the account is being accessed or operated by you personally.
1.3 When you use Moments, to enable your friends to view the content you share, we will collect, use, and display, based on the settings you choose, the text, photos, videos, location information (to enable location features, we will collect and use your device's GPS information, Wi-Fi information, operator base station information [CellID], and Bluetooth information; the same applies below), comments, likes, Moments cover and other information you post. You can also delete the aforementioned information in Moments at any time. Unless voluntarily chosen by you or in compliance with laws and regulations, we will not provide such information in your Moments to external parties or use it for any purposes other than implementing this feature. You can set the visibility range of your Moments content at "Settings" > "Friends' Permissions" > "Moments".
1.4 When you use Official Accounts or Service Accounts, in order to better provide you with services (including those related to system and information security, and false information identification, etc.) and to offer you more convenient, high-quality, and personalized services and content, we will collect and use your records of following/unfollowing and interactions with Official Accounts, Service Accounts, and Channels, as well as your operation logs of reading, highlighting, viewing, adding to Favorites, liking, recommending, sharing, and management of floating windows (adding/removing/closing floating windows) related to the content of Official Accounts, Service Accounts, and Channels, and your search history. We will automatically analyze such information using computer programs to predict your preferences, thereby providing content that may better align with your interests. You can manage the personalized recommendation service by tapping the profile icon in the upper right corner of the "Official Account/Service Account Messages" page, navigating to "Settings", and toggling the "Personalized Recommendations for Official Account/Service Account Content" option.
If an Official Account or Service Account owner needs to obtain your personal information via Weixin when providing services to you, we will, after obtaining your explicit consent, provide such Official Account or Service Account owner with your personal information, with the scope defined by what you agree to on the interaction page. You can manage related information (e.g., disabling location information sharing) on the Settings page of that particular Official Account/Service Account by accessing its homepage, tapping "…" in the upper right corner, and selecting "Settings".
1.5 When you use Mini Programs, in order to better provide you with services (including those related to system and information security, etc.) and to deliver personalized services and content recommendations, we will collect and use your operation logs, including login, access, and usage activities within Mini Programs, addingor removing Mini Programs in "My Mini Programs", and management of floating windows (adding/removing/closing). We will automatically analyze such information using computer programs to predict your preferences, thereby providing services that may better align with your interests. You can manage the personalized recommendation service by tapping "Discover" > "Mini Programs" > the profile icon in the upper right corner and toggling the "Personalized Mini Program Recommendations" option.
If a Mini Program developer needs to obtain your personal information via Weixin when providing Mini Program services to you, we will, after obtaining your explicit consent, provide such Mini Program developer with your personal information or Weixin interfaces through which your personal information can be accessed, with the scope defined by what you agree to on the interaction page. You can also manage the information or interfaces that have been provided to such developer via Weixin on the Mini Program's settings page. Upon your instructions, we will assist in notifying the developer to delete your personal information, or we will, upon your disabling the corresponding interface, cease providing your personal information to the developer through that interface.
1.6 When you use features such as "People Nearby", "Friend Radar", "Join Private Group", and "Mini Programs Nearby", we will record your location information upon your voluntary consent to provide you with relevant services. Refusing to provide such information will only result in your inability to use the aforementioned features, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin.
1.7 When you use "WeRun", we will request your explicit consent to access Motion & Fitness permissions, collect and display your step count information, and compare it with that of your friends so that you can compare with, like or interact with your friends. Refusing to provide such information will only result in your inability to use WeRun, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin.
1.8 When you use "Top Stories", in order to provide you with more convenient, high-quality and personalized services and content, we will use the operation logs of your following, accessing and interacting with Official Accounts, Service Accounts, and Channels, as well as your operation logs of reading, playing, liking, sharing, recommending, commenting, and adding to Favorites for the content of these accounts. We will automatically analyze such information using computer programs to predict your preferences, thereby providing content that may better align with your interests. You can tap "Top Stories" > "My Top Stories" in the upper right corner > "Settings" > "Personalized Recommendations" to disable the personalized content recommendation service. When you use "Top Stories", in order to recommend more accurate location-related content to you, we will collect your location information upon your voluntary consent.
1.9 When you use Weixin's search features such as "Search", "Official Accounts Search", "Scan", "Fingertip Search", " Image Search", or " Mini Program Search", in order to provide you with more accurate location-based search services, we will collect your location information upon your voluntary consent. Refusing to provide such information may only result in your inability to use the aforementioned features or to achieve the intended results based on your location information, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin. Additionally, in order to present you with more precisely-matched search service content, we will collect and use your search history (including search keywords and search results access history), your Mini Program access history, and the operation logs of following and accessing Official Accounts, Service Accounts, and Channels, as well as reading, highlighting, playing, adding to Favorites, sharing, and liking their related content. We will automatically analyze such information using computer programs to predict your preferences, thereby providing services that may better align with your interests. You can also go to "Discover" > "Search" > "Privacy" at the bottom of the page > "Show Personalized Search Results" to manage the personalized service.
1.10 When you use voice input, speech-to-text conversion, perform "Search" on chat messages (including text and images), perform Chat Image Search, use Weixin translation feature (including translating chat messages, text in Moments, and images, and using the Write and Translate feature), "Scan", and Extract Text from Image, we will collect your speech, the speech or text to be converted, the information to be searched, search keywords in Chat Image Search (excluding images), the information to be translated, the images to be extracted, and the scanned information, all of which are necessary for implementing the aforementioned features. After real-time processing, we will return the result to you and will not store your data (except when you actively report a translation error. In this case, the information you provide in the feedback will be collected only if it is necessary to address the issue you reported).
1.11 When you top up your account or use WeBeans in Weixin, we will collect your top-up order information and usage records, which are necessary to provide you with this feature. For more information about WeBeans, you can refer to WeBeans Top-Up Agreement.
1.12 The Weixin Pay service is provided by Tenpay Payment Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Tenpay"). When you enable Weixin Pay, Tenpay will collect your name, ID number or the numbers of other legal ID documents, the type, number and validity period of your bank cards, and the mobile number you registered with your bank. When you use Weixin Pay, Tenpay will also collect your transaction orders and payment records to allow you to search for and review your payments. Refusing to provide such information will only result in your inability to use Weixin Pay, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin. Please refer to the Tenpay Privacy Policy for more information on the Weixin Pay privacy policy.
1.13 When you add WeCom contacts, join a WeCom group via Weixin, or use other WeCom interoperability features via Weixin, the organizations associated with your WeCom contacts ("WeCom Users") may collect information such as your alias profile photo, and other account information, your chat history with your WeCom contacts, and other data you voluntarily disclose to the WeCom Users. When you choose to use WeCom-Weixin interoperable services, you can learn about your rights through product interaction prompts or the data protection policies provided by WeCom Users. For example, after you successfully add a WeCom contact or join a WeCom group, you can click on "Details" on the chat page to understand the relevant personal information processing rules and adjust your personal information privacy settings. You have the right to refuse the WeCom-Weixin interoperable services. This will not affect your use of other features of Weixin. Please refer to the WeCom Privacy Protection Guidelines for more information on the WeCom privacy policy.
1.14 When you use the interoperability features between Weixin and other software or hardware, the providers of such software or hardware may, upon your consent, obtain the relevant information you provide, disclose, or transfer within Weixin. You should fully understand the features and personal information processing rules of such software or hardware before granting your consent.
1.15 When you view videos or live streams with Channels, in order to optimize your experience and provide you with personalized content, we will use your operation logs of following, likes, adding to Favorites (Starred), interactions, searches, views, forwarding, sharing, rewarding, reading with Official Accounts or Service Accounts, and using Mini Games. We will automatically analyze such information using computer programs to predict your preferences, thereby providing content that may better align with your interests. You can manage the personalized recommendation service by tapping "Discover" > "Channels" > the profile icon in the upper right corner > "Settings" > "Personalized Recommendations" > "Video/Live".
In order to recommend local content or local live streams to you, we will collect your location information upon your voluntary consent. When you use Channels, your refusal to authorize the collection of your location or withdrawal of your authorization may result in your inability to use location-based features, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin.
You can recommend videos and comments to your Weixin contacts (e.g. by using "heart likes" or similar methods). If you cancel a heart like, the content will no longer be recommended to your Weixin contacts. You can also unfollow Channels and remove videos from Favorites (Starred). When you reserve a live stream, we will collect your booking records to remind you to watch live streams on time. You can cancel the booking.
1.16 When you comment on, send private messages to, like or follow a Channels user, or watch or reward to a Channels user's live stream, your Weixin contact card will be displayed to that Channels user, and your profile photo, alias, and comments will be shown to other users. You can choose to watch live streams or exchange messages with others using your Weixin identity, Channels identity, or a new identity. You can also set the Channels you do not want to watch, hide the content liked by certain Weixin contacts, or prevent certain Weixin contacts from seeing content you like. You can go to "Interaction History" to view the videos you have followed, liked, and added to Favorites (Starred), as well as the messages and private messages you exchange with others.
1.17 After you create a Channels account and post content, we will collect your Channels alias, profile photo, gender, region, bio, cover, verification information, blocked list, linked Official Accounts, Service Accounts or WeCom accounts, posted videos, live streams, images, text, location, links, and the metadata included in your posts, as well as comments, interactions, message notifications and other information related to you. When you post videos or stream live content, based on the features you wish to use, we will request your authorization for the permissions of your camera, photos, microphone, or location, as required by the corresponding scenario. If you do not authorize the access or withdraw the authorization, you will not be able to use the features, but this will not affect your use of other features of Weixin. You can change your Channels alias, profile photo, gender, bio, cover, blocked list, and other information, set the visibility range of your Channels, or delete your posts. On the "Settings" page of Channels, you can enable or disable showing your Channels content in your Weixin contact card.
1.18 When you post videos, stream live content, or link to an Official Account, you need to go through Real-name Authentication as required by laws and regulations and for identify verification. Real-name Authentication service is provided by Tenpay. Refusing to complete Real-name Authentication may result in your inability to use relevant services, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin. Moreover, to ensure the security of your Channels account, when we detect risks in your account status, usage environment, login devices, or login/usage patterns, or identify potential security threats or suspected unauthorized access, we may ask you to provide your real name and ID number and to go through "Face Recognition" to verify that the operation is performed by you. We will only obtain the results of the verification and will not retain the relevant information unless we have obtained your consent as required by laws and regulations. You have the right to refuse to provide the aforementioned information since it contains sensitive personal information. Your refusal to provide such information may result in your inability to use the relevant services, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin. If your posted videos or live streams are marked with location information, they will be recommended to the users near the location and in the same city who have authorized the access to their locations. You can remove tagged location information by tapping "…" in the upper right corner of the video page > "Edit" > Location section. After removal, the content will no longer be recommended based on location information.
1.19 When you authenticate your Channels account, manage live stream revenue, link with institution users, participate in live stream tasks, or take part in activities hosted by us, we may process your personal information. In such scenarios, we will inform you of the relevant rules and obtain your consent. When you perform game streaming or mini game streaming using your Channels, we will process your information according to the Weixin Channels Game Streaming Notice.
1.20 You can go to "Privacy" on your Channels homepage, choose "View and Export My Information" to check your account information, authentication information and other information, and export the information as instructed.
1.21 When you authorize Weixin Games (which refers to the game-related services and features provided by Weixin, including the "Discover - Games" module and the "Weixin Games" feature) to use your game account information (including login information, character information, and gameplay data) and game friendships, we will collect and use such information in the scenarios such as friend rankings, gaming performance services, game communities, What's New About Games, and Friends Are Playing in Weixin Games. You can choose the visibility of such information, or hide the information from your friends. This will not affect your use of other features in Tencent Games, Mini Games, and Weixin Games.
To provide you with better services, we will use computer programs to automatically analyze the aforementioned information along with your operational records of using Mini Programs under "Games" (also referred to as "Mini Games" in this Policy), including logins, views, usage, adding to/removing from "My Mini Programs", and management of floating windows within Weixin (adding/removing/closing floating windows), and game-related search history in Weixin. This analysis predicts your preferences to provide content and services better aligned with your interests. You can manage the personalized recommendation service by tapping "Discover" > "Games" > the profile icon in the upper right corner > the gear icon in the upper right section > "General" > "Accept Personalized Recommendations".
1.22 You can set up your Weixin Games profile card within Weixin Games. During the setup process, we will collect the profile photo, alias, life photos, signature, gender, birthday, region (we will request access to your location to quickly display your region. You can refuse authorization to prevent your region from being displayed) and other information you have voluntarily entered/set for this feature.
Once successfully set, the aforementioned profile card information will only be used for the Weixin Games profile card feature, allowing you to better interact with other users (who can follow you through the profile card, or interact with you via "Greeting") and to receive personalized game gifts (such as birthday gifts). Such information will not be used in other scenarios, nor will it be used to determine Weixin account ownership or for identity verification. You can choose not to set your Weixin Games profile card; this will not affect your use of other features in Tencent Games, Mini Games, and Weixin Games.
1.23 When you use "Status", we will collect information such as the content you post, the status icon you select, and your location, and display it to others. This is necessary for the feature's operation. Your status information will be shown or hidden based on your selection during its display period (the validity period of status display is indicated on the status setting page). You can also delete the status at any time to delete the information. Unless voluntarily chosen by you or required by laws or regulations, we will not provide the above status information to any third party or use it for any purposes other than implementing this feature.
1.24 When you use "Listen", in order to optimize music playback and recommend content aligned with your interests, we will collect and use your "Listen" usage records (including access, playback, likes, shares, "Listening" status, comments, favorites, playlist creations, clicks, posts, and other interaction and operation records), usage records for Channels, Official Accounts, and Service Accounts (including follows, visits, reading/playback history, searches, likes, shares, "Viewing" status, comments, favorites, clicks, posts, and other interaction and operation records), and your music search history in Weixin. We will automatically analyze such information using computer programs to predict your preferences, thereby providing content that may better align with your interests. You can manage the personalized recommendation service by tapping "Me" > "Settings" > "General" > "Listen" > "Personalized Recommendations". If you disable this feature, we will not use your data for personalized services (e.g., personalized music recommendations), but we may still provide non-personalized recommendations based on aggregated data, service trends, and current popular content, using computer programs (including ranking-based algorithms).
The music content you give a "heart like" to will be recommended to your Weixin contacts. If you cancel the heart like, it will no longer be recommended to your Weixin contacts.
1.25 When you use "Ask", in order to better provide you with more personalized content, we will collect and use your operation logs including questions viewed, comments, likes/dislikes, shares, favorites, recommendations, content sharing, followed topics, and interactions, your Channels, Official Accounts, and Service Accounts usage records (including follows and views), search history, and IP address. We will automatically analyze such information using computer programs to predict your preferences, thereby providing content that may better align with your interests. You can manage the personalized recommendation service by tapping "Discover" > "Search" > "..." in the upper right corner to enter the "Privacy and Features" page and then tapping "Ask" > "Personalized Q&A".
1.26 When you use WeiXin Stickers, in order to facilitate your use and discovery of new stickers, we will collect and use your sticker-related information (including paid sticker information), including sticker image content, addition records, and usage history. We will automatically analyze such information using computer programs to predict your preferences, thereby providing stickers that may better align with your interests. You can manage the personalized sticker recommendation service by tapping "Me" > "Sticker Gallery" > the gear icon in the upper right corner to enter the sticker management page.
1.27 In order to provide more convenient, high-quality and personalized services, we will collect and use data related to your Channels viewing and interaction, player playback, previous ringtones, music sharing and collection, as well as your friends' ringtone data. We will automatically analyze such information using computer programs to predict your preferences, thereby providing ringtones that may better align with your interests. You can manage the personalized recommendation service by tapping "Me" > "Settings" > "Message Notifications" > "Ringtones for Incoming Calls" > "Change" > "…" in the upper right corner > "Personalized content recommendations".
1.28 All the information you save using the Weixin Favorites feature will be uploaded and stored on our servers, as necessary to implement this feature. This will allow you to access the information on other devices where you log in to Weixin. The information you save to Favorites will be stored in an encrypted way and you may delete it at any time. Unless voluntarily chosen by you or required by laws and regulations, we will not provide such information to any third party or use it for any purposes other than implementing this feature.
1.29 When you use Cards & Offers, in order to recommend nearby services linked to your cards or coupons or to allow you to use the public transportation card service in your city, we will collect your location information after obtaining your consent. Refusing to provide such information may only result in your inability to use the aforementioned features or to achieve the intended results of location-based services, but will not affect your ability to use other features of Weixin.
1.30 You may enter your personal information such as your gender, region, What's Up, and address in Profile, which will then be uploaded and stored on our servers so that you can use it when you log in to Weixin on other devices. You may modify or delete such information at any time.
1.31 When you use "Group Chat", the group name, group notice, group member aliases, group settings, remark, and the chat background you set will be stored on our servers as necessary to implement this feature. Your profile photo and alias will also be shown to group members.
1.32 We will not collect your chat history. Your Weixin chat history will be stored locally on your device. You may back up, delete, or transfer it to other devices.
1.33 The third-party services within Weixin are provided by the third parties outside Tencent, and We are unable to access the information generated during your use of such services. A third party may access your location information via Weixin's interfaces upon your explicit authorization. Refusing to provide such information may result in your inability to use the above third-party services, but will not affect your use of Weixin features.
1.34 If you contact our customer service personnel, we may ask you to provide personal information necessary for identity verification to ensure the security of your account. In order to provide services based on request, our customer service personnel may request or verify your information within the scope authorized by you. We will make our best efforts to ensure the security and confidentiality of your information through technical and managerial measures and will use the information only when necessary. We may also save your contact information (mobile number, Weixin ID, QQ ID or other contact information you use or voluntarily provide), your communications with us, and other necessary information in order to provide customer services and maintain service records.
1.35 To provide you with real-time information services (e.g., instant message delivery), ensure service stability, and enable the functionality of Weixin-related desktop widgets (through which you can receive Weixin information), we may initiate auto-start when your device status changes (including but not limited to system reboots, widget updates, or task scheduling), strictly within the scope necessary to maintain core service functionality.
1.36 According to applicable laws, regulations, and national standards, we may process your relevant personal information without seeking your consent under the following circumstances:
a) The processing is necessary for the performance of statutory duties or obligations of a personal information processor;
b) The processing is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract to which you are a party;
c) The processing is necessary for the response to public health emergencies, or, in urgent situations, for the protection of life, health or property safety of individuals;
d) Your personal information disclosed by you or otherwise lawfully made public, is processed within a reasonable scope in accordance with the law; and
e) Other circumstances as stipulated by laws or administrative regulations.
1.37 We may use the information we collect during your use of a certain Weixin feature or service to provide specific content to you or your friends in another feature or service, including but not limited to displaying ads (you can manage Personalized Ads Weixin provides to you in "Me" > "Settings" > "My Information & Authorizations" > "Personalized Ads"), sending you security alerts for the content you have read, conducting indirect user profiling based on characteristic tags, providing more accurate and personalized services and content, and safeguarding user rights or Weixin ecosystem security.
1.38 In order to ensure the security of our services, and better keep track of the operation status of our applications, we may record information such as your frequency of using our applications, crash data, overall usage, performance data, and the sources from which the applications are installed. We will not combine the information stored in the analytics software with any personally identifiable information you provide in the application.
1.39 To provide you with certain features of Weixin, such as webpage display, we use the accelerometer to detect screen rotation and determine landscape orientation for webpage presentation. For specific details on the use of sensors, please refer to Weixin Sensor Usage Details.
1.40 When you copy and paste information in Weixin, we will request access to your clipboard. We only process the clipboard content locally and will not upload your clipboard information to our servers.
1.41 If we use your personal information beyond the purposes you have authorized or the scope directly or reasonably related to those purposes, we will inform you again and obtain your explicit consent before using your personal information.
1.42. Please note that, currently, we will not proactively obtain your personal information from a third party outside Tencent. If it is necessary for us to indirectly obtain your personal information from a third party for future business purposes, we will explicitly inform you of the source, type, and scope of use of your personal information prior to its acquisition. If we need to use your personal information collected from a third party beyond the scope of what you originally authorize the third party, we will seek your explicit consent before processing such information.
In addition, we will strictly comply with applicable laws and regulations, and will require third parties to ensure the legality of the information they provide.
2. Storage of Information
2.1 Information storage location
We will store users' personal information collected from Mainland China within the territory of Mainland China in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. If the storage location of your personal information is transferred from Mainland China to another location outside Mainland China, we will strictly comply with applicable laws.
2.2 Information storage duration
In general, we will retain your personal information for a period that is necessary to fulfill a certain purpose or is required by laws and administrative regulations, for example:
Mobile number: If you need to use Weixin service, we need to retain your mobile number (including the initial registration number and the number that linked to your Weixin account) for the entire period of your use of the service to ensure your normal use, regardless of whether you registered via a mobile number or an existing Weixin account. When you delete your Wexin account, we will delete the corresponding information in accordance with the law.
Moments posts: When you post to Moments, we will need to retain the information you post in Moments to ensure your normal use of the feature. When you delete your posts in Moments, we will delete the corresponding information accordingly.
In the event that we discontinue providing our products or services, we will notify you of such change by sending a notification, posting an announcement, or other means, and will delete or anonymize your personal information within a reasonable period. ("Anonymization" herein refers to the technical processing of personal information that makes it impossible to identify the subject of the personal information and ensures that the processed information cannot be restored. Any anonymized information shall not be considered as personal information.)
3. Information Security
We are committed to protecting users' information against theft, improper use, tampering, unauthorized access, or leakage.
We will implement various security measures within a reasonable degree of care to protect information security. For example, we will use encryption technologies (such as SSL), de-identification, anonymization, and other methods to protect your personal information.
We will enhance the security of the software installed on your device using ever-improving technical means to prevent your personal information from leakage. For example, we will perform partial information encryption on your device locally for secure data transmission; we may obtain information about the applications installed on your device, the processes running on your device, or the data stored in the device's memory to defend against viruses, Trojans, or other malicious programs or websites; we may analyze and utilize the data such as device identifiers (OAID), login IP addresses, operation logs, and location information to take security measures or issue alerts to prevent illegal acts such as fraud, account theft, and impersonation, and to conduct security inspection.
We have established dedicated management policies, operating procedures, and organizations to ensure information security. For example, we strictly restrict personnel who can access the information, require them to comply with confidentiality obligations, and conduct audits. In addition, Tencent will also set up an independent body primarily composed of external members to supervise our personal information protection practices.
In the event of security incidents such as personal information leakage, we will activate emergency response plans and remedial measures to prevent the expansion of the security incident, and we will fulfill relevant reporting and notification obligations in accordance with the law.
Currently, Weixin has passed the classification, filing and annual evaluation of the National Cybersecurity Level Protection (Level 3), and has met the requirements of internationally authoritative certification standards such as ISO27001 and the international information security management systems in terms of information security, and has obtained the corresponding certifications.
We will do our best to protect your personal information. However, we also hope you understand that no security measure can be completely flawless.
4. Information Sharing
4.1 For the purpose of advertising, evaluating, and optimizing advertising results, we need to share some of your data with third-party partners such as advertisers and their agents. We require them to strictly comply with our measures and requirements for data privacy protection, including but not limited to processing data in accordance with data protection agreements, commitment letters and relevant data processing policies to ensure that the information does not identify an individual, and to ensure privacy security. For more information, refer to Information Shared with Third Parties.
4.2 Without your explicit authorization, we will not share any information that can be used to identify you personally with our partners.
4.3 When you log in to any websites or applications operated by third-party entities via your Weixin account, we will provide your personal information to such third-party entities. The specific scope of external provision shall be subject to what you confirm on the interaction page. In addition, we will not provide your personal information to such third parties without obtaining your express consent in advance. You can go to "Me" > "Settings" > "My Information & Authorizations" > "Authorizations" to view the applications you have authorized, and manage or remove your authorizations.
4.4 To ensure the implementation of some independent features, enabling you to use and enjoy more services and features, we will integrate third-party SDKs into the application and carefully evaluate the purpose of using such SDKs. For more information about the purpose, method and scope of personal information processed by SDKs, refer to Information Shared with Third Parties.
With the development of our business, there may be transactions such as mergers or spin-offs. In the event of the transfer of personal information, we will inform you of the relevant circumstances and continue to protect your personal information in accordance with laws, regulations and standards no lower than those specified in this Policy, or require the new processor to continue protecting your personal information.
5. Your Rights
During your use of Weixin, to facilitate your access, copying, rectification, or deletion of your personal information, and to safeguard your rights to withdraw your consent to the processing of personal information and to delete your account, we have incorporated corresponding operation settings into our product design. You can refer to the following guidelines to perform these actions. In addition, we have set up channels for complaints, reports and requests for explanation. Your opinions and requests will be handled promptly.
Please note that there may be differences in operation settings among different operating systems and different Weixin versions. In addition, we may adjust the operation settings from time to time to optimize your user experience. Therefore, the following guidelines are for reference only. If you still have any questions about the methods and channels for exercising relevant rights, you can contact us through the methods stated in Section 9 herein.
5.1 View and copy personal information
5.1.1 View your basic information including profile photo, alias (hereinafter referred to as "name"), Tickle, Weixin ID, QR code, gender, region, What's Up, and address:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap your profile photo;
3) Access the information you want.
5.1.2 View your Weixin ID, mobile number, voiceprint, emergency contacts, login device management, and more security settings (QQ ID, email address):
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Account Security";
4) Access the information you want.
5.1.3 View moments and status information:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "My Posts";
3) Tap "My Moments" to access Moments information, or tap "Status" to access Status information.
5.1.4 View and set privacy, authorizations, subscriptions and other options in Weixin Games:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Discover";
2) Tap "Games";
3) Tap the profile icon in the upper right corner;
4) Tap the gear icon in the upper right section;
5) Tap "New Notifications", "Subscriptions", "Games Authorization and Privacy" to access and configure the options.
5.1.5 View blocked list:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Friends' Permissions";
4) Tap "Blocked List".
5.1.6 View interaction information in Channels:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Discover";
2) Tap "Channels";
3) Tap the profile icon in the upper right corner;
4) Tap "Settings";
5) Tap "Interaction History".
5.1.7 View and export personal information in Channels:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Discover";
2) Tap "Channels";
3) Tap the profile icon in the upper right corner;
4) Tap the avatar and alias to enter the Channels homepage;
5) Tap "…" in the upper right corner and enter the setting page;
6) Tap "Privacy";
7) Tap "View and Export My Information" to view your personal information;
8) Tap "Export My Information" to copy your personal information and send it to the mailbox you designate.
5.1.8 View and copy personal information:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "My Information & Authorizations";
4) Tap "View and Export My Information" to view your personal information;
5) Tap "Export My Information" to copy your personal information and send it to the mailbox you designate.
5.1.9 View Collected Personal Information:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Collected Personal Information".
5.1.10 View Information Shared with Third Parties:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Information Shared with Third Parties".
5.2 Delete personal information
5.2.1 Delete one-to-one chat history:
1) After entering Weixin, open a dialog box and tap the "..." icon in the upper right corner;
2) Tap "Clear Chat History".
5.2.2 Delete group chat history:
1) After entering Weixin, open a dialog box and tap the "..." icon in the upper right corner;
2) Tap "Clear Chat History".
5.2.3 Delete part/all of chat history:
1) After entering Weixin, open a dialog box, and then tap and hold on a message to be deleted;
2) Select "Delete" to delete the message;
3) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
4) Tap "Settings";
5) Tap "General" (or "Chats");
6) Tap "Clear Chat History" to delete all chat messages.
5.2.4 Delete What's Up, my address, and other basic information (QR code cannot be modified or deleted):
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap your profile photo;
3) Delete relevant information.
5.2.5 Delete a post in Moments:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "My Posts";
3) Tap "My Moments";
4) Tap the post in Moments you want to access;
5) Tap "..." in the upper right corner to delete the post.
5.2.6 Delete Channels content:
1) After entering Weixin, enter your Channels homepage by following the steps stated in 5.1.7;
2) Tap the content to be deleted;
3) Tap "..." in the upper right corner;
4) Tap "Delete".
5.2.7 Delete Favorites content:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Favorites";
3) Tap the content to be deleted;
4) Tap "..." in the upper right corner;
5) Tap "Delete".
5.2.8 Delete login devices:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Account Security";
4) Tap "Login Devices" (or Logged-in Devices);
5) Tap "Edit" to delete corresponding login devices.
5.3 Rectify personal information
5.3.1 Rectify profile photo, alias, Tickle, gender, region, mobile number, What's Up, and my address:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap your profile photo;
3) Make rectifications.
5.3.2 Rectify Weixin password, voiceprint, and emergency contacts:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Account Security";
4) Make rectifications.
5.3.3 Rectify Channels profile photo, alias, and bio:
1) After entering Weixin, enter your Channels homepage by following the steps stated in 5.1.7;
2) Tap "..." in the upper right corner;
3) Tap profile photo and alias to make rectifications on the profile page.
5.4 Manage features and permissions
5.4.1 Disable "Find Mobile Contacts":
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Friends' Permissions";
4) Tap "Find Mobile Contacts" to disable it.
5.4.2 Disable "People Nearby":
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Discover";
2) Tap "Nearby";
3) Tap "People" and "OK" to enable it;
4) Tap "..." in the upper right corner;
5) Tap "Clear Location" to disable it.
5.4.3 Disable "WeRun":
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "General";
4) Tap "Tools";
5) Tap "WeRun";
6) Tap "Disable";
7) Tap "Clear".
5.4.4 Remove authorizations for other applications:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "My Information & Authorizations";
4) Tap "Authorizations";
5) Tap the authorization content to be managed;
6) Tap "Disable Access".
5.4.5 Manage system permissions:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "My Information & Authorizations";
4) Tap "System Permissions";
5) Tap "Go to system settings".
5.5 Delete account
5.5.1 Delete Weixin account:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Account Security";
4) Tap "Weixin Security Center";
5) Tap "Delete Account".
Note: After your account is deleted, we will retain your relevant information in accordance with the "Cybersecurity Law of the People's Republic of China" and other applicable laws and regulations. Upon the expiration of the necessary retention period, we will remove or anonymize your personal information.
5.5.2 Cancel Weixin Pay:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Pay and Services";
3) Tap "Wallet";
4) Tap "Payment Settings";
5) Tap "Cancel Weixin Pay".
5.6 Complaints and Reports
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "About";
4) Tap "Report".
5.7 Privacy settings
5.7.1 Enable or disable "Require Friend Request":
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Friends' Permissions";
4) Enable/disable "Require Friend Request".
5.7.2 Set "Methods for Friending Me":
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Friends' Permissions";
4) Tap "Methods for Friending Me" to select the methods for adding you as contacts.
5.7.3 Enable/disable "Moments":
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "General";
4) Tap "Manage Discover";
5) Enable/disable "Moments".
5.7.4 Manage Privacy settings in your Moments:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "Friends' Permissions";
4) Tap "Moments";
5) You can set "Viewable by Others";
6) You can set "Make Last 10 Moments Public".
5.7.5 Set privacy for contacts:
1) Tap "Contacts" and select the contact for whom you want to set "Privacy";
2) Select the contact's profile, and tap "..." in the upper right corner;
3) Tap "Privacy";
4) Set the privacy options.
5.7.6 Set location and the contact range when posting on Moments:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Discover";
2) Tap "Moments";
3) Tap and hold on the "Camera" icon in the upper right corner;
4) Set "Location", "Visible To", "Mention", and other options.
5.7.7 Set allowed list and blocked list in Channels:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Discover";
2) Tap "Channels";
3) Tap the profile icon in the upper right corner;
4) Tap your profile photo;
5) Tap "...";
6) Tap "Privacy";
7) Select "Share my channel content with", "Blocked List", or other options.
5.7.8 Set the identity used for watching live streams and sending private messages in Channels:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Discover";
2) Tap "Channels";
3) Tap the profile icon in the upper right corner;
4) Tap "Settings";
5) Tap "Watch Live Streams & Message As".
5.7.9 Log in to websites or applications other than Weixin with different personal information:
1) On another website or app that supports login using your Weixin account, tap "Log in via Weixin" or the icon representing Weixin (usually the Weixin icon);
2) Choose different personal information (profile photo or alias) or create new user information (new profile photo or alias) to log in to the website or app.
5.7.10 Manage privacy settings in WeRun:
1) After entering Weixin, tap "Me";
2) Tap "Settings";
3) Tap "General";
4) Tap "Tools";
5) Tap "WeRun";
6) Tap "Privacy and Alerts";
7) Manage privacy settings in WeRun.
In addition, you can also tap "Disable" on the "WeRun" page to clear historical data and disable WeRun.
5.8 Rights of close relatives of deceased users
If a Weixin user unfortunately passes away, their close relatives may contact us through the official channels of Tencent Customer Service to obtain the guidelines for exercising their lawful and legitimate rights.
6. Amendments
This Policy may be revised as appropriate from time to time. In the event of any major changes to the provisions in this Policy, we will provide you with the updated Policy by pushing a notification, showing a pop-up window, or other means compliant with legal requirements when you log in or update the version.
7. Protection of Minors
We place great value on the protection of minors' personal information. As required by applicable laws and regulations, if you are a user under the age of 18, you should obtain the written consent of your parent or statutory guardian prior to the use of Weixin services. If you, as the parent or statutory guardian of a minor, have any questions about the personal information of minors, please contact us through the means as stated in Section 9.
Particularly, if you are a child under the age of 14, we have formulated the Children’s Privacy Protection Statement for you. Before completing the account registration for a child under 14, both the child and their guardian should carefully read the Children’s Privacy Protection Statement specially formulated by Tencent. Children under the age of 14 may only use Weixin services after obtaining their guardian's consent to the Children’s Privacy Protection Statement.
8. Miscellaneous Provisions
8.1 Tencent's Privacy Policy is a general privacy rule uniformly applicable to Tencent. The user rights and information security safeguard measures therein are applicable to Weixin users. In the event of any inconsistency or conflict between Tencent's Privacy Policy and this Policy, this Policy shall prevail.
8.2 For certain specific services or features of Weixin, we may separately inform you of the purpose, method or scope of processing of personal information through interactive text, product interfaces, pop-up windows, etc. In the event of any inconsistency between our separate notification and this Policy, the former will prevail.
8.3 The Children's Privacy Protection Statement is an information protection rule that applies to child users under 14. Within the application scope of the Children's Privacy Protection Statement, in the event of any inconsistency or conflict between the Children's Privacy Protection Statement, Tencent's Privacy Policy, and this Policy, the Children's Privacy Protection Statement shall prevail.
9. Contact Us
We have established a dedicated personal information protection team and appointed a personal information protection officer. If you have any questions, complaints or suggestions about this Policy or personal information protection, please contact us through any of the following methods:
1) Contact us through https://kf.qq.com/;
2) Send your questions to Dataprivacy@tencent.com; or
3) Mail to the following address: Data Privacy Protection Department, Tencent Binhai Building, No. 33 Haitian 2nd Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, 518054.
We will review your feedback as soon as possible, and respond to you within fifteen calendar days after receiving your complaints or feedback.
10.Language
This Policy may be drafted in different languages, including Chinese, English and others. Except for this Article 10, in case of any inconsistency or discrepancy between the Chinese version and the versions of other languages, the simplified Chinese version shall prevail for the rest of this Policy.
Shenzhen Tencent Computer Systems Company Limited