APP access and supervision are about to usher in the most stringent new policies, and the APP registration system is about to be released

To this day, chronic problems such as APPs excessively requesting permissions and illegally collecting and using personal information still plague the public. On the one hand, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has completed technical inspections on 290,000 APPs this year and has made rectification requirements for 1,862 illegal APPs. On the other hand, companies can easily put their own APPs on the app store for 200 yuan. Yesterday, the "Interim Provisions on the Protection and Management of Personal Information of Mobile Internet Applications" drafted by the State Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation, etc. began to solicit opinions, and APP access and supervision are about to usher in the strictest new policy. Reporters learned that the APP filing system is also imminent, which is expected to make APPs more standardized when they are listed and more disciplined when they are used.

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200 yuan can get the APP on the shelf

On April 23, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology just reported 138 apps that violated user rights. It is worth noting that at present, large companies are increasingly complying with the rules, and their illegal apps are decreasing, while some apps developed by small and medium-sized enterprises have become the hardest hit areas of violations.

The low threshold for listing on app stores is an important reason why the chaos in the APP market has been difficult to eradicate over the years.

Searching for "APP listing" on Baidu, the reporter randomly clicked on the website of a "Chameleon Technology Company". It showed that it could provide a one-stop service for APP listing, including agent application for account, agent application for software copyright, agent pre-examination of APP, etc.

The website of another company, Kuchuan Technology, shows that it can provide services for listing apps in 10 large app stores in China, including Xiaomi, OV, Tencent, and Baidu. Its website shows that it listed 67 apps, including Duoqianle, Find Landlord, and Tixin Weather, on Baidu's app store yesterday.

"Our agency fee for listing an APP on an app store is 200 yuan, and we can refund if the listing fails." said the customer service staff of Chameleon Technology. The customer service staff of Kuchuan Technology said that the listing requirements for live broadcast, game and paid apps are relatively strict; however, for some common types of apps such as beauty pictures and music, especially free apps, it is relatively easy to list them.

Joint punishment for violators

In addition to app stores, search engines are also important sources for obtaining apps. The reporter then searched and downloaded apps such as music player HiFi and Moon Player from Baidu. However, when he opened the settings, he found that these apps neither displayed developer information nor had a consultation phone number. In other words, for some apps from non-famous companies, when consumers encounter problems, they are likely to encounter two major problems: difficulty in making complaints and difficulty in protecting their rights.

"For regulatory authorities, it is indeed difficult to manage such apps," an industry insider told reporters. "It is difficult to find their distribution channels and contacts, and it is also difficult to urge them to make corrections when problems are discovered."

In order to strengthen APP supervision, the Interim Provisions on the Protection and Management of Personal Information of Mobile Internet Applications began soliciting opinions yesterday. The draft for soliciting opinions clearly states that those engaged in APP personal information processing activities should follow the two important principles of "informed consent" and "minimum necessary", and adopt a non-default checkbox method to obtain user consent and respect the user's right to choose.

For APP distribution platforms such as application stores and other network access service providers, the "Draft for Comments" proposes that they must register and verify the real identity, contact information and other information of APP developers, operators and providers; at the same time, cooperate with the supervisory and management departments to report, respond to and deal with problematic APPs to prevent them from infringing on user rights.

The Draft for Comments also proposes that in the future, regulatory authorities may take necessary measures such as ordering rectification, removing apps from shelves, and disconnecting apps from their websites for violations. Regulatory authorities may also include violators in credit management and implement joint punishment. If a crime is constituted, the public security authorities will pursue criminal liability in accordance with the law.

Or promote traceability management through filing system

As my country continues to increase its efforts to protect personal information, the standardized governance of APP applications also faces new challenges.

"What is a legal app and what is an illegal app? Only with the filing system can this basic and core regulatory issue be resolved." A person in charge from the regulatory department told reporters: "The filing system can further reduce the living space of gray area apps and bring as many apps as possible into the scope of regulatory vision."

The reporter learned that my country may be expected to solicit opinions on the "Interim Management Measures for APPs" within the year, and the relevant content of the APP filing system will also be announced at that time.

"The APP filing system is expected to become a major advancement of relevant domestic management systems." Zeng Jianqiu, a professor at the School of Economics and Management of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, told reporters: "Layered and graded management will be the core of the APP filing system."

Zeng Jianqiu explained that previous research by relevant parties found that some fields such as e-commerce, finance, insurance and real estate are the hardest hit by spam text messages. Similarly, for key types of apps with frequent problems, stricter management should be implemented through the filing system in the future. "For personal sensitive information such as address books, photos, and location information, different sensitivity levels should be determined in the future, and a more scientific hierarchical management mechanism should be implemented when the filing system is launched."

Zhang Jiaxin, a teacher at the School of Information and Communication Management of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, also told reporters that it is recommended that relevant departments set up an APP registration platform and website as soon as possible, give APPs identification codes so that they can "work with a license" and open query functions. This will facilitate traceability, and both public inquiries and complaints will be more convenient, and supervision by relevant departments will be more efficient.

"We look forward to the early introduction of stricter laws and regulations, the formulation of more stringent rules for listing apps, and strict punishments for illegal acts in accordance with the law. Only in this way can we break the chronic problems of apps excessively requesting permissions and illegally collecting and using personal information as soon as possible." said Zhu Jinyuan, director of Beijing Guandao Law Firm.