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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has begun requiring new apps to show evidence of a Chinese government license before their launch on its China App Store, Reuters reported.
The move sees the Cupertino, Calif.-based company joining competitors who had adopted the policy years earlier to meet tightening government rules, the report added.
Last Friday Apple started requiring app developers to file the “internet content provider, or ICP, filing” when they publish new apps on its App Store, the company noted on its website for developers.
Last week, the Cyberspace Administration of China released the names of the first batch of 26 application distribution platforms (mobile app stores) which had completed filing business details to the regulator, however, Apple’s App Store’s name was not on the list. In August, China tightened its oversight on apps by requiring all mobile app providers in the country to submit business details with the government.
An ICP filing is a longtime registration system, needed for websites to operate legally in China, and several app stores including those from Tencent (OTCPK:TCEHY) (OTCPK:TCTZF) and Huawei have adhered to it since at least 2017, according to the report.
To receive an ICP filing license, developers are required to have a company in China or work with a local publisher. This has been a hindrance for many foreign apps. Meanwhile, Apple’s loose ICP policy has enabled it to offer far more mobile apps than local app competitors and helped the company strengthen its popularity in China, the report added.
The tech giant’s compliance status could affect the accessibility of many apps on its platform in China, including apps such as X, formerly known as Twitter, and Telegram, the report noted.
Under the new rule, apps which do have the required filing will be punished after the grace period, which will end in March 2024, while newly developed apps need to adhere to the regulation from September.
