SHANGHAI: App stores in China must register with the state from Jan 16, a government statement said, as China tightens its control over the Internet. App stores are “not strict” when they examine and approve apps, the China Cyberspace Administration, the country’s Internet watchdog, said in a statement. The clampdown on app stores came just after Apple removed the New York Times from its China app store, stating that it was in violation of local regulations. In the absence of Google Play, which is blocked, China is home to a variety of different Android app stores, though the landscape is mostly dominated by internet giants Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba. The first two companies control nearly half the Android app stores run in the country as of the third quarter of last year, according to a report from consulting firm Analysys.

Source: The Star January 17, 2017 12:23 UTC