China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has told app stores to remove access to new downloads of 106 mobile apps due to apparent data privacy violations as part of the clamp down on data security breaches, reports Caixin. The internet regulator said the apps are barred from new downloads for failures to correct misconduct as regulators required after they were found to collect excess private information, misuse users’ data or force users to grant unnecessary access to personal data.
The affected apps include popular book and movie review platform Douban, online karaoke service provider Changba, second-hand goods trading platform Aihuishou and news aggregator Kankan News.
Five of the 106 apps including Douban and Changba were listed by the MIIT early last month along with 33 other apps for misdeeds such as excessively collecting users’ data or publishing misleading information. The ministry ordered operators of the apps to fix the problems by November 9. Those that failed to do so would face punishment, the ministry said at that time.
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