(Yicai Global) March 22 -- Chinese regulators issued a document today aiming to crack down on excessive collection of personal data by mobile apps, saying they should allow users to enjoy basic functions without requiring information such as phone numbers, locations or payment account details.

Four regulatory agencies, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, jointly issued the document, stipulating the scope of necessary personal information collection for 39 types of apps. The document specifies 13 categories of apps that should not require any personal information, including livestreaming, online videos, music platforms, and sports and health apps.

For other apps that are frequently used, the document calls for specific areas of personal information to be required. For instance, online car-hailing apps can require the user’s phone number, location and payment information, and instant messaging apps can ask for the user’s phone number and contact list. Online shopping apps are also allowed to require the user’s phone number, address and payment information.

The regulations will take effect on May 1.

The problem of apps collecting users’ personal information beyond the necessary scope has become prominent, the CAC said. In particular, many apps request personal information for various bundled services, forcing users to give the information in order to use basic functions.

The CAC, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration for Market Regulation were involved in forming the new regulations.

Editor: Tom Litting