China’s internet censor targets mobile apps in latest action to clean up online ‘chaos’
- The Cyberspace Administration of China says it will clamp down on disorder in areas such as app search, rankings, downloads and usage
- The move comes as the number of apps in China has been declining amid a broader regulatory crackdown on the tech sector and a slowing economy
China’s top internet regulator said on Monday that it is launching a special campaign to rectify “chaos” in the country’s mobile app sector, which has already been shrinking in recent years amid fierce competition and stringent regulations.
The Cyberspace Administration of China said it will clamp down on disorder in every part of the industry chain, ranging from app search and rankings to downloads and usage, according to new guidelines published on the agency’s WeChat account.
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How China censors the internet
The post cited fake apps, illegal collection of user data, spread of harmful information, excessive pop-up ads, and practices designed to trick users into downloading certain apps or topping up their spending accounts, as some examples of misbehaviour that needs to be reined in.
While the regulator did not spell out specific penalties for violations, it said that app distribution platforms are responsible for taking appropriate moves to correct any issue, and that it would “take targeted measures” against platforms with severe problems and “implement those measures forcefully”.
The latest move comes as the number of apps in China has been declining amid a broader regulatory crackdown on the tech sector and reduced consumer spending under a slowing economy.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has omitted mobile app-related data in its monthly reports since July, the first time since the statistics were made available in August 2017.