Mobile app stores operated by Tencent, Xiaomi, and others have initiated restrictions preventing app publishers from launching new applications if they fail to provide the necessary disclosures as mandated by Chinese authorities, according to a September 4 report by Reuters. These measures are in accordance with China’s new regulations released last month, which required app publishers to submit documentation for filing and business details to regional authorities. “The Android app stores have confirmed that new apps require the app filings from Friday onwards, and existing apps must have it from March 31 onwards,” Rich Bishop, CEO of app publishing firm AppInChina told Reuters. Last week, Android-based app stores operated by major companies such as Tencent, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo issued notifications to app publishers, stipulating that new apps without sufficient paperwork would not be featured on their platforms. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has scheduled talks with industry participants about the new policy to enforce regulations on apps published in the country, according to Reuters. [Reuters]
