China's chief IT authority has called for a sweeping cleanup of the domestic mobile applications (apps) market, stressing security and consumer protection requirements for all individual apps, app stores and device manufacturers that cater to the world's largest population of smartphone users.

The release of these rules comes as the sprawling mobile industry becomes an increasing priority of the nation's evolving—and sometimes conflicting—internet legislation. By building on previous guidelines and striking a stronger tone on enforcement, the latest regulation from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) signals a more serious intention to implement compliance and monitoring standards across the sector.

Online regulation: A turf war

Since President Xi Jinping ascended to the leadership in 2012, the government has worked to reshuffle the country's information security apparatus, with a specific focus on the internet, as signified by the 2014 creation of the Cyberspace Affairs Leading Group, China's ultimate governing body for the internet and headed by Xi himself. The Group's policy implementing arm, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), is mandated with coordinating and streamlining the regulation of data security. This objective had long been needed to be met, as there has been a multitude of ministries competing for authority over internet regulation.

The primary regulator was the MIIT, whose responsibility emerged from its role as the longstanding overseer of the telecom sector and its direct ties to the dominant state-owned telecom carriers. The MIIT has also closely supervised telecom equipment manufacturers; for example, devices that access public communications networks are required to obtain a network access permit from the MIIT. However, the internet's pervasiveness throughout much of China's industries has seen the MIIT's role receded as other government ministries increasingly assert their jurisdiction in the online space.