My investing muse - we are NOT the customers of social media and $DIDI (04Dec2021)

If we are not paying, we are not the customers. In the world of social media, we are known as users. When we log in, we log in with our user ID, not a customer ID. We, the users are the commodity of social media. Our usage and social media data are “sold” by social media companies - to companies who used targeted ads to sell their products and services to us.

Key issues that concern the Chinese authorities are monopolistic practice and mishandling of user data. Didi said in a statement that having its app removed “may have an adverse impact on its revenue in China.“It promised to fix any problems, “protect users’ privacy and data security, and continue to provide secure and convenient services to its users.”

As these practices are corrected, users can feel safer about their personal data - a positive move in the long run. As for $DiDi Global Inc.(DIDI)$, we can expect them to be back in business once they have adequately addressed the concerns of the authorities. This seems to be a delay, not a denial. Let us do our due diligence before investing.