(ZHANG CHENG)

The Chinese Government is set to strengthen management of software installation on mobile devices, asking domestic smartphone manufacturers to report installation information for their users beginning November.

According to a document issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in April, companies are prohibited from installing mobile software that gathers or edits people's private information without permission. Meanwhile, smartphone firms should not use software that results in financial loss or leaks personal information.

China overtook the United States as the world's biggest smartphone market in 2011.