Tencent to clean up its WeChat service amid crackdown rumours
Company says it will target accounts that engage in fraud, porn or 'spreading rumours'
Tencent will begin a fresh crackdown on fraud, pornography and "spreading rumours" on its hugely popular WeChat messaging application.
The mainland technology giant would target the approximately 5.8 million public accounts on the service, it said on its own WeChat account.
The internet on the mainland is under intense censorship because of government fears it could pose a threat to the Communist Party's dominance.
Tencent said that about 80 suspects belonging to some 10 gangs involved in "illegal activities" had been caught by the authorities since April, when a campaign to clean up the internet was launched on the mainland. The cases involved about 25 million yuan (HK$31.5 million).
More than 100 public accounts had been removed in the first half of the year, it said, adding that three accounts had been suspended for selling counterfeit products.
During the April campaign, Tencent had deployed more than 200 people to examine complaints, it said.