On 13 January 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced the commencement on 16 January 2017 of the Internet app store registration program in China. The registration requirement was imposed by the mobile apps regulation that became effective in August last year. Specifically, Article 5 of the Administrative Provisions on Information Services of Mobile Internet Application Programs (Mobile Provisions) requires Internet app stores in China to register with the local offices of the Cyberspace Administration within 30 days of the launch of business operations. “Internet apps stores” cover platforms on which various applications are provided for users to browse, search and download (such as iTunes, Google Play, Baidu Shouji, Tencent Myapp, and SnapPea), or the development tools and products released on the Internet (such as Apple Developer, Google Developers, and Xiaomi Developer).
