China is going after “smartphone-based instant messaging services” to stop the “[spread] of rumors and what it calls the infiltration of hostile forces.”
According to the AP, official state news outlet Xinhua said “the crackdown on people spreading rumors and information related to violence, terrorism, and pornography stated [May 27].”
The Chinese government is trying to counter the anonymity users have when they post photos “or follow the feeds of companies” without first identifying themselves or “exchanging greeting messages.”
Xinhua says some have used the anonymity to “distribute illegal and harmful information, seriously undermining public interests and order in cyberspace.”
This comes after “web-based micro-blogs, known in Chinese as ‘weibo,’ once enjoyed explosive growth in China.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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