China has released a new set of regulations to strengthen the standardized management of government mobile Internet applications, aiming to improve governance efficiency.

Issued by the General Office of the State Council, the regulations came into force upon release. The document establishes comprehensive requirements covering the entire lifecycle of government apps, from planning and development to operation, maintenance and security mechanisms.

Government mobile apps, as defined by the measures, include apps, mini-programs, and quick apps developed or used by government agencies, mass organizations and public institutions to support internal work such as administration, management and training. County-level authorities and below are, in principle, prohibited from independently developing such apps.

A core focus of the measures is addressing "fingertip formalism," a phenomenon in which digital tools are misused to shift administrative pressure downward through excessive reporting, repetitive data submission, forced check-ins, rankings or online performance metrics.

The new rules explicitly ban compulsory functions such as daily sign-ins, points-based rankings, and mandatory online time tracking, except in special cases such as security or emergency response. They also prohibit forcing downloads, assessing app usage rates, or turning apps into platforms for disguised inspections and routine performance evaluations.

To strengthen oversight, the measures establish a unified filing system. All government apps must complete filing procedures before launch, clearly display their sponsoring entity and filing number, and undergo technical testing. Apps with major functional changes must reapply for filing, while those that are discontinued must be reported and deregistered in a timely manner. Existing government apps are required to complete filing within six months of the measures taking effect.

In addition, the document places strong emphasis on security and compliance.

Sponsors bear primary responsibility for app construction, use and security. All regions and departments will implement relevant laws and regulations concerning cybersecurity, data security, security protection of critical information infrastructure, personal information protection, cryptographic management, and management of mobile Internet application information services, as well as protect data and personal information security in accordance with laws and regulations. Regular inspections and risk assessments are also required to ensure stable and secure performance.

Furthermore, the measures encourage greater integration and consolidation of government apps, promoting data sharing and intensive construction and eliminating low-usage, low-practicality or overlapping platforms. They will simultaneously encourage the use of government mobile applications to genuinely enhance grassroots governance and public service delivery.

According to officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China, the measures  are designed to form a long-term mechanism to prevent formalism in digital governance, while enabling government mobile applications to better serve public needs with efficiency.