China’s app stores begin compliance with China’s latest regulations | Pocket Gamer.biz

Mobile Games

Chinese App Stores Comply with New Regulations, Potentially Impacting Mobile Gaming Market

Chinese app store owners, including Tencent, Huawei, and Xiaomi, have started adhering to new regulations mandated by the Chinese government. These regulations require publishers to make certain disclosures in order to launch apps. Failure to comply with these regulations may lead to the removal of numerous apps from the world’s largest mobile gaming market.

Under the new rules, China’s existing restrictions on game licensing are now applicable to all apps. This means that both government approval and collaboration with a Chinese publisher or establishment of a branch within China are necessary for foreign game makers to successfully publish their products.

According to Rich Bishop, the CEO of app publishing firm AppInChina, “The Android app stores have confirmed that new apps require the app filings from Friday onwards, and existing apps must have it from March 31 onwards. It forces all global apps on these app stores to either establish a local entity or work with a local partner.”

Impact on App Stores and Apple

Android-based app stores in China have notified publishers about their intention to block new apps without the required paperwork. However, Apple has not disclosed how it intends to comply with the new restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. Currently, Apple is not verifying the filing status of apps published on the App Store to ensure compliance. All app stores operating in China will be required to indicate the filing status of each hosted app.

It is worth noting that Google Play, which is not available in China, remains unaffected by these regulations.

Huawei, in its notice to publishers, mentioned that China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has established a dedicated task force to enforce these new regulations. The ministry has also scheduled discussions with industry participants to determine how they can comply with these regulations.

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