China orders app store registration

The Chinese government is tightening its control over mobile apps, said Paul Mozur in The New York Times. Beijing last month ordered the registration of app stores across the country with a vague item posted to the website of the Cyberspace Administration of China. “Many apps have been found to spread illegal information, violate user rights, or contain security risks,” the post read, suggesting that the country’s app stores could be held responsible for offering apps that run afoul of the government. China passed a law last year barring apps from “engaging in activities deemed to endanger national security or disrupt social order,” often a euphemism for discussing politically
sensitive topics. Chinese apps often host content that would be strictly blocked on the internet, because they are harder to monitor and suppress than websites.