94 apps removed for privacy violations

CHINA has completed technical tests on 440,000 highly popular apps in China’s mainstream app stores, among which 1,336 applications with privacy violations were asked to rectify, and 94 were removed from the stores due to severe violations, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The emergence of apps has increased the risk of private information leakage as users regularly share personal data through their smartphones and web cookies tracking every click. With increasing number of consumers complaining that their personal data was being misused, regulators are stepping supervision against the firms, especially on how users’ personal information is collected and used.

Lu Chun, deputy director of the Information and Communications Administration of the ministry, told reporters on Friday that there are over 3.5 million apps in China and the number keeps growing, which imposed great pressure on government regulation and supervision.

He explained that these apps, by getting access to consumers’ personal data and tracking their every online step, gain unprecedented insight into consumers and serve up specific ads they think consumers are likely to enjoy or click on. In the process, there are high risks of personal information abuse and leakage.

Liu Liehong, Vice Minister of the Industry and Information Technology Ministry, said the ministry will launch a special campaign next year to crack down on illegal apps and will create a technological platform for app testing by using big data and artificial intelligence technology, aiming to check 1.8 million apps in 2021.

So far, the ministry has formulated 11 standards for app firms’ data collection, including phone contacts, recordings, face information and location.