Two China Tech Titans Wrestle Over User Data

BEIJING--China's leading smartphone maker and one of its biggest internet companies are in a showdown over user data, the big prize in the emerging era of artificial intelligence. To build its AI capability--so that its phones can, say, make restaurant suggestions based on a user's text messages--Huawei Technologies Co. is collecting user-activity information on its advanced Honor Magic smartphone. Among the information captured: text messages sent using the popular WeChat TCEHY 1.05% social-media app. WeChat owner Tencent Holdings Ltd. contends that Huawei is effectively taking Tencent's data and violating the privacy of WeChat users, according to people familiar with the situation. It has asked the Chinese government to intervene, these people say.