Tencent, the company behind China’s most popular messaging app WeChat, denied it stores users’ messages, after a businessman said he believed Tencent is monitoring accounts.

“WeChat does not store any users’ chat history. That is only stored in users’ mobiles, computers and other terminals,” WeChat said in a post on the social media platform, Reuters reported.

“WeChat will not use any content from user chats for big data analysis. Because of WeChat’s technical model that does not store or analyse user chats, the rumour that ‘we are watching your WeChat everyday’ is pure misunderstanding.”

Li Shufu, chairman of Geely, owner of the Volvo car brand, was quoted in Chinese media as saying Tencent chairman Ma Huateng “must be watching all our WeChats every day”, Reuters said.

All social media platforms in China are required to censor posts considered “illegal” by the government.

WeChat’s privacy policy does state it may need to retain and disclose users’ information “in response to a request by a government authority, law enforcement agency or similar body”, Reuters said.

Last month, Qi Xiaoxia, director general of the Bureau of International Cooperation at the Cyberspace Administration of China, said Google and Facebook would have to accept the country’s censorship and tough online laws if they want access to its huge online population.

China’s government stepped up its campaign of censorship ahead of the Communist Party congress in mid-October 2017. In September it restricted access to WhatsApp’s full suite of services in the country and in November Microsoft’s internet calling and messaging app Skype was removed from Apple’s App Store and Android app stores.