Chinese tech companies including social media giant Tencent were ordered by regulators on Thursday to clean up how their apps handle user information or face possible penalties.
The order is the latest in a series of crackdowns by Communist authorities who encourage internet use but are steadily tightening censorship and other controls on operators. Violators in earlier crackdowns have lost licenses or suffered other penalties that cut into revenue or depressed their company's share price.
The industry ministry said 41 apps failed an examination following orders in July to ensure they comply with user data rules.
Violators include Tencent's QQ messaging app, Sina's Sina Sports, Sohu's Sohu News and Xiaomi's Xiaomi Finance.
The ministry said violations included improperly collecting or using information about visitors to their services.
Source: Economic Times