( CNN ) -- China 's 700 million smartphone users will no longer be able to share stories about politics without official approval , according to new regulations announced by authorities on Thursday , which took immediate effect . The State Internet Information Office released a 10-point document detailing new rules for instant messaging ( IM ) service providers and users . It is the latest move in an official campaign to `` clean up the online environment and rein in rumormongers , '' according to Chinese media . Although the rules apply to all IM service providers , they are widely seen as targeting WeChat , the immensely popular mobile app that allows people to share text , videos , photos and audio recording with multiple users at once . Public accounts on any mobile IM platform will also need to register with authorities using the real names of the owners . There are 5.8 million public accounts in China on subscription-based mobile apps , including celebrities , businesses and other organizations , according to state media Xinhua . The rules also stipulate that , while the accounts of professional news providers are allowed to post about politics , all other accounts must obtain prior approval from authorities to post -- or repost -- political news . Dominating the digital . `` This is just the latest set of rules to remind everyone who 's in charge and provide yet another legal and verbal framework for silencing troublesome voices , '' says Jeremy Goldkorn , commentator on Chinese Internet and founder of Danwei.com . A similar set of regulations was imposed on users of Sina Weibo two years ago , the micro-blogging platform commonly referred to as China 's Twitter . Prominent Weibo users were later detained or prosecuted , on charges both related and unrelated to their online activities . Lately , `` rumor mongers '' have become the target of the official online clean-up . In April , Qin Zhihui , who goes by `` Qinhuohuo '' online , was sentenced to two years in prison for spreading false information on Weibo . `` After the takedown of the Big Vs ( verified accounts with huge follower numbers ) on Weibo last year , I more or less gave up posting anything to the Chinese Internet , '' says Goldkorn . `` The government has successfully brought Weibo under control and has become the dominant voice there . I have no doubt that they will succeed with WeChat , '' he adds . Another user of a popular WeChat account on current affairs said that the new regulation `` will definitely impact what I 'm going to post in the future . `` It 's quite obvious now , other public accounts are definitely going to be more cautious about republishing political news because no one knows how strongly the rules will be enforced . And the term 'political news ' is not quite clearly defined . We 'll wait to see how things go . '' A balancing act . To many China watchers , the new regulations that target mobile use has come as no surprise . The three-year-old WeChat , owned by Tencent holdings , is unlike any other mobile app . It has taken China by storm , with a monthly average of 398.5 million users who rely on the app to get all sorts of things done -- from booking taxis to sending virtual hongbao ( customary gift money ) . It also extends into e-commerce , gaming , socializing and posting pictures . `` WeChat has turned into the extended operating system of China 's mobile millions , '' said CNN 's Kristie Lu Stout , a technology enthusiast and host of `` On China . '' A Tencent spokesperson said that it `` respects related government policies in all markets '' where the company operates . `` And Tencent always devotes to create a healthy and secure online environment for our users . We 'll take measures against offensive and abusive activities to show compliance with relevant regulations . We welcome users to report such instance to us via online channel . '' Staying in the race . With its seamless functions , the China-developed app is fast gaining ground on its Silicon Valley rivals , such as WhatsApp . But now that the government is showing an ironclad crackdown on smartphone app freedoms , how can Chinese mobile developers stay competitive on the global stage ? `` This is Beijing 's dilemma . The government wants to develop the Internet to drive innovation and economic growth , while keeping tabs on any potential political risk bubbling up online , '' says Lu Stout . Danwei 's Goldkorn does n't feel that increased government regulation will have any lasting impact on innovation . `` The social media and news aspect of WeChat is trivial compared to WeChat 's personal messaging function that is replacing SMS text messages , its taxi booking and payment system , and wealth management product , and the WeChat-enabled use of QR codes for marketing . This is a highly innovative fusion of a variety of different digital services , and it 's beautifully engineered . `` Of course the intellectual repression caused by China 's censorious media , telecom and education systems does hinder innovation , but it does not destroy it . '' He adds that he sees workarounds to the regulations should users want to disseminate subversive materials : `` The point of the rules is not to delete every single vaguely problematic posting , but rather to stop public opinion from being swayed by non-official voices on the Internet . '' CNN 's Dayu Zhang contributed to this report .
China issues new rules for uses and providers of mobile IM services . Commentator : `` The Chinese government has announced a series of changes to the way it regulates use of social media in China. Will the increased control of mobile use hamper mobile innovation in China ?