APP STORES operating in mainland China must register with the government’s Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) this week in what the government claims is an attempt to clamp down on the spread of ‘illegal information’.
It follows the passage of a law in June 2016 that will also require mobile app developers to verify user identities with a real-name registration regime and to save user activity logs for at least 60 days.
In addition to helping the authorities keep their eyes on people and the kind of stuff being circulated across the internet in China, the new law is also intended to combat the proliferation of app stores that offer insecure or downright fraudulent apps, as well as piracy and apps bearing malware.
The situation has largely arisen because the Chinese government insists on blocking Google’s Play Store, forcing Android users to download apps from a cornucopia of third-party app stores.
