13,000 accounts closed for online blackmail, fraud

BEIJING - A total of 13,883 accounts on five major Chinese websites have been closed or blocked for illegal practices, such as blackmail and deleting posts for profit.

The five websites -- sina.com.cn, sohu.com, qq.com, 163.com and baidu.com -- have removed 17,044 posts containing libel, pornography, rumors and other illegal information, according to a statement by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Wednesday.

China launched a campaign targeting online information violations including fake news, paid deletion of posts, and blackmail since January, and the websites have been cooperating with authorities to investigate violations, according to the statement.

The statement also noted that the public has been cooperative in reporting violations and promised rewards for providing tips.