The Cyberspace Administration of China has posted a notice on its website asking mobile app stores to officially register on its offices. The action has been taken to control the proliferation of fraudulent applications across the Internet.

China is one of the biggest cybermarkets in the world and is host to numerous app stores. Major technology companies such as Alibaba and Apple also have their app stores in the country. However, Google does not operate its Play Store in China as it is banned from operating. Many of such app stores do not have strong security features, putting Chinese consumers at risk.

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The rules will come into effect on Monday (Jan. 16). The main reason for instituting these laws is to safeguard the users from apps, which deliberately defraud or steal from users. In many cases, the apps are shut down after carrying out nefarious activities, making it difficult for the regulators to take hold of them.

The regulator website stated, "Many apps have been found to spread illegal information, violate user rights or contain security risks."

The notification stated that the registration is required if an app store plans to set up a new storefront, change an existing one, or close its business.

In the wake of massive security breaches around the world, the Chinese government is looking to make cyberspace a more secure place for its citizens. The country recently ordered Apple to remove certain news apps from its store in China for violating local regulations. 

TagsCyberspace Administration of China, Google, apple, apps