Rumor: Operators Remove NetQin from App Stores
Communications World Weekly, 3/21/11
In lieu of CCTV's recent television expose, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) immediately instructed the three major telecom operators - China Mobile (NYSE: CHL; 0941.HK), China Telecom (NYSE: CHA; 0728.HK) and China Unicom (NYSE: CHU; 0762.HK; 600050.SH) - to cease offering mobile security solutions provider NetQin's applications from their download channels, said a source at China Telecom. The three telecom operators all removed NetQin mobile applications from their app stores on March 15, the same evening MIIT made its request. The news department of MIIT's General Office said that MIIT has already instructed related departments to carry out further investigations, and MIIT will promptly publish the latest results of the investigations on its website.
The source also said that China Telecom will no longer accept user requests to pay for NetQin services via their China Telecom account, and the relevant departments at China Telecom also advised terminal manufacturers to cease pre-installing NetQin products on handsets.
Editor's note: Marbridge Consulting has confirmed that NetQin's mobile applications are currently unavailable in China Mobile's (NYSE: CHL; 0941.HK) Mobile Market, China Unicom's (NYSE: CHU; 0762.HK; 600050.SH) Wo Store, and China Telecom's E-Surfing Space App Market. According to Sohu IT, Nokia has launched an investigation and removed NetQin applications from its Ovi App Store and other download channels as a precaution. Nokia told Sohu IT that no NetQin software is pre-installed on its E7 handset. As of March 16, NetQin’s official website still claimed that “NetQin applications pre-installed on the Nokia E7 ensure business users are far from danger.” For more background on this topic, please see "NetQin Responds to CCTV Malware Expose" MD 3/16/11 issue.
Keywords: scandal anti-virus security China Telecom China Mobile China Unicom malware wireless MIIT CCTV NetQin CHL 0728.HK 0762.HK 0941.HK 600050.SH CHA CHU app store WVAS pre-installed mobile application
Sending
