China punishes 100 apps for breaches of personal info as consumer anxiety rises over privacy

Privacy infringements and information breaches have become hot-button issues in China, as the country continues to digitise its economy. — SCMP

China has cracked down on another large batch of apps in order to strengthen protection of personal data amid rising consumer anxiety in the country over the potential for online privacy breaches.

The China Cybersecurity Center said 100 apps, across a range of industries including e-commerce and banking, have been penalised since November, for incorrect collection of personal data, lack of privacy agreements or ambiguous rules, according to a statement on its WeChat official account last week.