If you’re attempting to use WeChat marketing apps with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, you’re out of luck; the company has confirmed that it has suspended all WeChat marketing applications from Taobao marketplace and Tmall.com, preventing customers from promoting products and services.
The company says it is banning such apps, the majority of which have been developed by independent software vendors, due to “misuse” by some sellers.
Shoppers will be able to log on to its Taobao Marketplace using their Weibo accounts, Alibaba and Sina said in a joint statement yesterday. Alibaba disabled sellers’ access to WeChat applications in its own app shop, citing security reasons, Alibaba spokeswoman Florence Shih said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.
It is not clear how long the suspension will last, though it’s possible that Alibaba could reverse its decision since it has not pursued and outright ban of WeChat apps. It’s likely the company is waiting for the dust to settle to see how the situation progresses.
WeChat did not comment on the ban except to say “We do not comment on other companies’ business decisions.”