MIIT Launches App Store Anti-malware Campaign
MIIT, 6/04/14
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued new regulations regarding the spread of malware through mobile app stores in China. According to the regulations, the MIIT has required local branches of the Telecommunications Administration Bureau (TAB), a division of the MIIT, to perform remote and on-site spot checks of apps found on locally registered app stores. Following the checks, Chinese app stores found to be hosting any apps or malware that clearly violate users' interests, such as apps that eavesdrop on phone calls, steal private information, or charge malicious fees, will be required to remove said apps or face penalties from the MIIT.
The notice also mandates that app stores must act independently or commission a third party to inspect apps for malware and illegal content before releasing them.
App stores must keep a blacklist of all malware app discovered, and app stores should establish a software blacklist management system which explains an app's particular violations. The MIIT has also urged app stores to share blacklist information within peers in the app store industry.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "Chinese Regulator Requires App Stores to Delist Mobile Malware" MD 5/27/13 issue and "MIIT Reveals Mobile App Whitelist" MD 9/13/13 issue.
Keywords: regulation Telecommunications Administration Bureau malware wireless MIIT app store mobile application
Sending
