China Tightens Its Grip On App Store Developers

The government of China has recently announced that all App Store developers must be based in China or partner with a local publisher. The app developers also need to provide business details including an address. It clearly means that China is tightening its grip on the developers by introducing a new set of rules for them.

  China Introduces New Set Of Strict Rules For App Store Developers

Let me tell you that China also introduced a new law banning ChatGPT-like apps, and games demanding an official license. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information (MIIT) has announced that mobile app developers need to file business details. They need to fulfill the requirement immediately. However, there is a grace period that will expire in March 2024. At the end of that transition period, the government will reportedly penalize developers. It is still not known whether that means forcing Apple to remove the apps from the App Store, imposing fines, or possibly both.

It is equivalent to giving the Chinese government the authority to approve apps or require the app’s removal under legal grounds. The fact is that the rule will make it specifically hard for small and independent developers, or those with political apps, to persist. Let me tell you that the new rule not only applies to apps but also to companies that are engaged in internet information services through apps. for instance, news, publishing, education, film and television, and religion. Companies in these fields also have to submit relevant documents.

Hence, this prerequisite may also be shot to block social media services such as Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook. We all know that Apps for these services are presently available in the local App Store. However, this may imitate how Russia legislated in 2021 that technology firms must open local offices.

Also Read: OpenAI Now Lets You Block Its Web Crawler GPTBot – (phoneworld.com.pk)

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Laiba Mohsin

Laiba is an Electrical Engineer seeking a placement to gain hands-on experience in relevant areas of telecommunications. She likes to write about tech and gadgets. She loves shopping, traveling and exploring things.

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