The Cyberspace Administration of China has shut up 733 websites and 30,000 online media accounts, clearing up over 700 million inappropriate or harmful information and 9,382 mobile apps since January 3 this year, in a nationwide clean-up for cyberspace safety.
Among the closed apps was Tencent's "Fast Daily News", or "TianTian Kuai Bao" in Chinese, for spreading vulgar content and poisoning the online environment.
Tencent and other tech giants Baidu and Souhu were asked to overhaul their news services in accordance with the cyber management law.
China started efforts for building a clean cyberspace since the start of 2018, with tightened scrutiny of unhealthy or illegal information both on video websites and social media platforms.
Last January, the nation's authority launched a nationwide campaign to urge video websites including Tencent to delete videos containing pornographic and illegal contents.
Sina Weibo, one of China's most influential social media platforms with 361 million monthly active users, was also summoned by the local cyberspace watchdog after Tencent's case and was asked to change some of its app features.
Many accounts have been under investigation for content featuring vulgarity, pornography, clickbait, rumor-mongering, illicit marketing, content theft, illegal advertisements, or other behaviors that disrupt cyber safety and violate the law.
Since the beginning of 2015, China has shut down more than 13,000 websites for containing illegal information.
