The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has formally launched mobile phone anti-spam software.
The software has functions to filter messages, screen messages and ultimately save money for users. Mobile users can visit wap.12321.cn and enter their mobile phone models and numbers to download their specific software.
In an anti-spam alliance meeting held by the Internet Society of China in Beijing on July 17, 2008, representatives from 34 operators and service provider companies, including China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, China Netcom, Sina, Tencent and Kong.net, jointly signed a self-disciplinary convention on anti-spam. Xi Guohua, vice minister of MITT, says that the ministry attaches great important to the governance over mobile spam and it requires the relevant companies and units to actively cooperate with the 12321 Informant Center to find effective ways to battle spam on Chinese handsets.
By the end of June 2008, the 12321 Informant Center had received 482,098 leads, of which 438,668 were related to spam. An analysis on the contents of the spam shows that 39.17% of these spam messages were deceptive messages, 36.28% were commercial promotions, 11.45% were illegal sales of notes and certificates and 8.37% were sales of prohibited products.