Delivery dispute: iFood accuses Chinese company of industrial espionage
The food delivery market in Brazil is facing a major legal controversy. iFood, the sector leader in the country, has filed a lawsuit against the Chinese company Meituan, owner of the Keeta app. The main accusation involves industrial espionage and unfair practices to obtain confidential information from the Brazilian company.
According to iFood, Meituan is allegedly offering paid job interviews to employees of the Brazilian platform. The goal of these conversations would not be to hire the professionals, but rather to obtain strategic data and trade secrets. iFood claims that this is an illegal way to understand how the local market works before Keeta begins full operations in Brazil.
On the other hand, Keeta denies all accusations. In a statement, the company claimed that iFood's criticisms are a "smoke screen." For the Chinese company, iFood is trying to divert attention from the real problems of the delivery sector in Brazil, such as the lack of competition and the fees charged to restaurants and couriers.
Meituan is one of China's largest technology companies and is expanding its services to other countries. Keeta's arrival in Brazil represents a direct challenge to iFood, which dominates most of the national market. This dispute shows how competition is becoming intense among major international technology platforms.
The case is now in the hands of the Brazilian justice system, which must decide whether or not a crime of espionage occurred. Meanwhile, the delivery sector is closely watching the next steps of both companies. This legal battle could change how technology platforms compete and hire professionals in the near future.