China Says WhatsApp Should Stop Spread of ‘Illegal Information

China has hit out at Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp, saying the messaging service should act to stop the spread of “illegal information” as the country seeks greater scrutiny over the internet in the run-up to its once-in-five years Communist Party Congress.

WhatsApp should take proactive measures to intercept information to do with violence and terror, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement in response to questions from Bloomberg News. China has the authority to tell institutions to take these measures, said the agency, without specifying details of content it considered illegal.

“A country’s cyberspace sovereignty should be protected,” it added. The response comes as China is seen to be tightening the screws on WhatsApp, which has until recently been one of the only remaining major messaging services to operate unfettered in the country.

"China’s Internet is fully open,” the administration said. “We welcome internet companies from various countries to provide Chinese internet users with good information services.”

UCJ, UNILORIN