Thursday, December 4, 2025

WeChat and Select Chinese Banking Apps Restrict Access to ByteDance’s Latest AI Agent

Tencent’s WeChat and mobile banking apps from Agricultural Bank of China and China Construction Bank have recently experienced disruptions due to ByteDance’s new AI agent, Doubao Mobile Assistant, featured in the Nubia M153 smartphone. Users reported being logged out of WeChat with an “abnormality in the login environment” message, while banking apps warned users to disable the tool to proceed. Launched on Dec. 1, the Nubia M153, priced at CNY 3,499 (USD 495), is primarily aimed at developers. Doubao Mobile Assistant boasts advanced features like seamless app switching and voice command functionality. Technicians noted it possesses high-level INJECT_EVENTS permissions, typically reserved for system components, allowing it to simulate user clicks and read screen content. Despite concerns over data privacy, Doubao emphasized it requires user authorization for sensitive actions and does not store data in the cloud. This situation highlights ongoing tensions in AI development and user data access among tech firms.

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