WeChat closes, suspends hundreds of objectionable accounts

A woman looks at her phone in front of an advertisement for Tencent's WeChat mobile messaging app, in Shaoyang city, Central China's Hunan province, March 31, 2013. [Photo/IC]

BEIJING - Hundreds of accounts on leading instant messaging platform WeChat have been shut down or disabled by its parent company, Tencent, in the wake of increased government regulation of such services.

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The clean-up, targeting mass-publication accounts as opposed to those used for personal communications, cracked down on accounts masquerading as those of public organizations and media groups, as well as accounts spreading rumors and content that is lewd, pornographic or violent.

Other reasons for the accounts being punished included publication of illegal advertisements, disturbing ethnic unity, committing libel and violating privacy, according to a statement released on Friday by the State Internet Information Office, citing Tencent.

As of Aug 25, 46 mass-publication accounts had been permanently shut down, and another 311 disabled, with suspension durations ranging from seven to 90 days.

The statement cited "Zhejiang Xinwen (Zhejiang News)," an account closed for routinely releasing false news stories in the name of the sole provincial-level news account in east China's Zhejiang Province authorized by the State Council.

Tencent's swoop followed a regulation issued earlier this month stipulating that non-media instant messaging accounts must be certified by service providers and put on record by administrative authorities in order to release or re-post news stories.

The rules urged users to vouch for the authenticity of the information provided, abide by the law and uphold national interests, public order, the rights of other citizens, social morality and the socialist system.

Friday's notice described the accounts in question as "the first batch," hinting that more will be identified and punished.

More than 800 million people use instant messengers in China, sending more than 20 billion pieces of information every day.