DingTalk (钉钉) urges enterprises not to install third‑party app "Longxia" (龙虾)

What DingTalk said

DingTalk (钉钉), Alibaba’s enterprise messaging and collaboration platform — widely used in China much like Slack or Microsoft Teams in the West — has advised corporate users not to install a third‑party application called "Longxia" (龙虾). It has been reported that the warning was distributed to enterprise administrators and appeared as an in‑app notification, urging firms to block installation and to report any instances to their IT teams. The company framed the notice as a precautionary measure while it investigates the app’s behavior.

Why the warning matters

Why the concern? Reports say Longxia requests extensive permissions and may run persistent background services that could conflict with corporate compliance or data‑security policies; these reports remain unverified. For Chinese enterprises, platform plugins and mini‑programs can access messaging histories, contact lists and file systems — sensitive territory under China’s tightened cybersecurity and data‑protection regime. Enterprises are therefore risk‑averse: one unchecked app can create legal and operational exposures.

Broader context

This advisory comes amid a broader tightening of oversight over software and AI tools in China, and at a time when both domestic policy and international tech frictions — including U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors — have pushed companies to be more stringent about supply‑chain and data risks. For Western readers: the dynamics are familiar even if the platforms are different — corporate IT teams are being asked to treat third‑party extensions with the same scrutiny they apply to external vendors.

Enterprises are advised to follow DingTalk’s official guidance, consult internal security teams, and, if necessary, quarantine affected devices while awaiting a verified security assessment. It has been reported that DingTalk is coordinating with relevant parties to clarify the situation; until then, the safe course is to avoid installing unvetted third‑party apps.