China cracks down on apps for infringement of personal information

BEIJING -- China has penalized more than 400 mobile apps and software development kits (SDKs), including by ordering their removal from app stores, for violations related to users' personal information.

The action was taken following inspection of personal information collection and use practices of apps and SDKs by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and other authorities, as part of a campaign dedicated to protecting personal information launched in April.

More than 4,000 mobile apps and SDKs have been urged to complete compliance rectifications since the start of the campaign, with over 1,100 publicly identified for relevant violations.

More than 1,000 companies and institutions were urged to correct issues in their products, such as not clearly disclosing the collection of personal information for advertising and user profiling, and failing to provide users with the option to disable personalized ads.

Authorities have also carried out personal information risk assessments in sectors including education, transportation, healthcare and finance, and stepped up efforts to combat crimes involving personal information throughout the campaign.

China has maintained a tough stance against infringement on personal information. From 2020 to 2024, through specified campaigns, Chinese police agencies cracked more than 40,000 cases involving the infringement of citizens' personal information.

In 2025, the Ministry of Public Security combined tough law enforcement with tighter regulation to build a more comprehensive cyberspace governance system aimed at protecting network, data and information security.