China's efforts to clean up the Internet have resulted in 15,000 arrests related to cybercrimes, authorities disclosed on Tuesday.
The country's Ministry of Public Security plans to further increase the enforcement of Internet regulations.
The country’s Ministry of Public Security has tightened its grip on illegal online activities, and plans to increase enforcement even further.
The ministry has so far investigated 7,400 online, resulting in a large number of arrests. It is unclear when the investigations took place, but the ministry cited a case that dates back to last December.
The alleged crimes include hacking attacks, cyber fraud, and promoting gambling.
In one case, the arrested suspects took control of a company’s website and filled its pages with gambling games. Seven people were eventually arrested, and it was found that they had allegedly hacked 2,000 company sites.
In another case, the suspects sent SMS messages to mobile phone users that contained a link to download malware. The malware could then control the user's phone, and steal personal information, including bank card numbers loaded inside it.
In addition to cracking down on online crime, China is also deleting what it deems offensive and harmful online. This includes gun violence, pornography and gambling, leading the Ministry of Public Security to investigate 66,000 websites and online publications. China is known for its online censorship, and the country has made it a priority to step up regulation of Internet content, particularly on social media platforms.
