China deletes 'malicious' mobile apps including a Tencent game

iDreamSky Technology Holdings

24/01/2019 07:01

BEIJING, Jan 24 (Reuters) - China's cyber watchdog said on
Thursday it has deleted close to 8,000 "malicious" mobile apps
including a video game distributed by tech giant Tencent
Holdings Ltd  0700.HK , as regulators step up efforts to tighten
control over the country's internet.
    The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a
statement it had ordered telecom operators to shut down the
services of 7,873 apps after finding they had overcharged and
cheated users as well as stolen information.
     It launched the campaign in September with other Chinese
government ministries to target "malicious mobile apps that
infringe on users' rights", the agency said. 
     Among the apps targeted by the agency was a Chinese version
of "Fruit Ninja" developed by iDreamSky Technology Holdings Ltd
 1119.HK  and distributed by Tencent.
    The game caused economic losses to users by tricking them
into signing up to unwanted fee-based services, the agency said.
    Other games such as "Bathroom Goddess" and "Naughty
Housemaid" that were developed and published by other firms
committed "online hooligan activities" like information theft,
spamming, and forced downloads.
    Tencent and iDreamSky did not immediately respond to
requests for comment.
    China's video game market, the world's largest, has been
under strict scrutiny since last year when authorities stopped
approving new titles for almost a year. It recently resumed
approvals but industry leaders Tencent and NetEase  NTES.O  have
yet to receive any.
    Political control of the internet has also tightened under
President Xi Jinping, an effort that has accelerated since 2016
as the ruling Communist Party seeks to crack down on dissent on
social media.
    The CAC on Wednesday said it had deleted more than 7 million
pieces of online information as well as 9,382 mobile apps, and
criticised a news app run by Tencent for spreading "vulgar and
low-brow information.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1ZN2QE

 (Reporting by Pei Li and Brenda Goh; Editing by Stephen Coates)
 ((Pei.Li@thomsonreuters.com; +86 18810385187;))