Shanghai has formally launched a registration program for Internet app stores in an effort to monitor and streamline the mobile Internet market.
Shanghai Cyberspace Administration published a statement on its WeChat account Monday saying that local mobile app store providers must register with their offices when launching their services, or altering or halting their operation.
The free registration process will take 20 working days, and the providers are asked to mail the required materials, it said.
China's top cyberspace organ, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), said in January that not all app stores in China are well-managed and regulated, so the sector is becoming an untamed frontier with many apps that have been found to "spread illegal information, violate user rights or contain security risks."
The registration system intends to help identify who is responsible if an app is found to be a cover for illegal practices but it has also triggered concerns that the move may cause new challenges to app stores.
The removal of the English-language and Chinese-language apps for The New York Times from Apple's China store in December triggered much comment.
A fast growing sector, there are now at least 4 million apps in China, but some illegal providers use apps to spread illicit content, steal users' personal information or engage in fraud, the CAC said.
Apart from Shanghai, other places, including North China's Hebei Province and Central China's Hunan Province, have started a registration system for mobile apps. Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality will also do the same on Wednesday.
