The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has announced that all app stores operating in the country must register themselves with the agency. The move comes as the country tries to tackle high levels of malware on mobile devices. The CAC also said that the register will stifle the spread of “illegal information”.
As anyone who has ever purchased an Android phone in mainland China will know, Android devices are lacking the Google Play Store. While native companies such as Baidu , Tencent, and Xiaomi all offer their own stores, there is a slew of less reputable stores which make the spread of malware quite easy, Cheetah Mobile Security said that 1.4 million Chinese users’ devices have been hit by malware as of January 2016.
