An app that allows users to track trucks across China has been disabled after a scandal in which reporters discovered that tankers used to transport fuel were also being used to transport cooking oil, without proper cleaning in between.
On Thursday, Chinese media reported that the tracking function on Shipping Help, an app used to track cargos, had been disabled. The app displayed a message saying the service was being “upgraded” and was therefore “temporarily unavailable”.
Previously, Shipping Help’s tracking function could be used by normal people and businesses to inquire about the location of specific trucks, using satellite monitors.
The app reportedly received a surge in queries this week after reports emerged about long-distance tankers used for transporting fuel being loaded up with edible oil for their return journeys, without the tankers being disinfected in between loads. The reports led to fears that oil that may be contaminated with toxic chemicals is finding its way into people’s food.
The news caused outrage in China, and the government has vowed to investigate and punish rule-breakers. There are widespread concerns about food safety among the Chinese public, with many people fearing that health and safety standards are not properly enforced.
After the scandal was first reported by Beijing News, a state-run outlet, earlier this month, people started to independently track where the potentially contaminated oil ended up. Some reports suggested that the tankers delivered oil to packaging facilities run by household brand names in China, including Jinlongyu, a brand of soya bean oil that is widely available in Chinese supermarkets. The company said its trucks meet requirements.
There has been some surprise that a state-run outlet was allowed to publish such a damning report, given the government’s strict censorship regime. Some people speculated that the removal of Shipping Help’s tracking function was motivated by a desire to limit the size of the scandal.
“In the information age, data is power,” one Weibo user wrote. “However, this power sometimes makes people feel helpless. I hope that every ‘system upgrade’ is to better serve users, not to cover up the problem.”
