China Cracks Down on Misleading App Pop-Up Redirects

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued new directives targeting intrusive and misleading app pop-up advertisements, threatening escalating penalties including app store removal for non-compliant platforms. The crackdown, announced on June 9, 2026, specifically targets the widely criticized “shake-to-open” (摇一摇) advertising mechanism that has frustrated Chinese mobile users for years.

Context: A Long-Standing Consumer Grievance

The “shake-to-open” feature uses a smartphone’s accelerometer and gyroscope sensors to detect device motion. Even minor movements — such as walking, taking a phone out of a pocket, or setting it down on a table — can trigger automatic redirects to advertiser pages or app store downloads. A December 2021 survey by the Jiangsu Provincial Consumer Protection Commission found that 91% of consumers had encountered shake-to-open ads, and 92% expressed strong aversion to them.

According to Xinhua News, the MIIT’s Bureau of Information and Communications Administration convened a special meeting directing internet platforms and smart terminal companies to strictly regulate app information window presentation behaviors. The action was prompted by the intensification of “618” e-commerce promotional activities, during which many apps deployed aggressive pop-up and splash-screen advertisements.

Specific Violations and Enforcement Measures

The MIIT cited apps for using unauthorized methods to induce user clicks and employing highly sensitive shake-to-open mechanisms that mislead users into triggering redirects. The meeting reported on problem clues discovered during routine inspections and required all relevant enterprises to immediately conduct self-inspection and rectification.

As IT之家 (IT Home) reported, companies were ordered to comprehensively review all existing and upcoming information window designs and establish online monitoring mechanisms. Going forward, the MIIT Information and Communications Administration will conduct routine monitoring and detection, with violators facing escalating penalties including formal interviews, public notices, and app removal from stores.

A History of Regulatory Action

This is not the first time Chinese regulators have targeted intrusive app advertising. The regulatory approach has evolved significantly over the past five years:

• July 2021: MIIT launched a special campaign against app pop-up harassment, targeting nearly invisible close buttons and disguised pages.
• November 2022: An industry standard established technical parameters for shake-to-open triggers: acceleration ≥15m/s², rotation angle ≥35°, and operation time ≥3s.
• February 2023: A landmark court case saw Wuhan University student Zhang Xinyue sue Meitu Xiuxiu over shake-to-open ads, with the court adopting these same technical parameters as the legal standard.
• July 2025: The National Cybersecurity Standardization Technical Committee (TC260) released a formal practice guide codifying these technical standards.
• May 2026: MIIT published its 56th batch of infringing apps, citing 31 apps for violations including “information window click random redirect.”

Current State of Compliance

According to an investigation by Nanfang Metropolis Daily, major apps including Douyin (TikTok China), Taobao, JD.com, Bilibili, NetEase Cloud Music, and Baidu Netdisk have all added options to close shake-to-open ads. However, these options are mostly enabled by default, meaning users must actively opt out. The depth of the close option varies significantly — for example, Baidu Netdisk requires six clicks through multiple settings menus to disable the feature. Even when shake-to-open is disabled, splash screen ads themselves remain unavoidable.

Analysis: Escalation or Cycle?

The June 2026 action represents a notable escalation in enforcement. While previous actions focused on issuing standards and conducting tests, the new directive explicitly threatens app removal as a penalty and emphasizes “normalized routine monitoring and detection” — suggesting MIIT is building permanent oversight capacity rather than relying on periodic crackdowns.

However, the effectiveness depends on enforcement consistency. Previous regulatory actions in 2021 and 2023 led to temporary improvements, but the problem recurred when regulatory attention waned. The timing of this action — just before the peak “618” shopping period — is strategic, aiming to deter violations during the highest-traffic e-commerce window of the year.

What’s Next

In the short term, users can expect a temporary reduction in aggressive shake-to-open ads during the 2026 “618” period as companies scramble to comply. Some apps may face public notification or temporary removal from stores as examples. Longer term, the technical standards now provide clear legal benchmarks that could be used in future consumer lawsuits, and the regulatory framework may expand to cover other intrusive advertising practices such as full-screen heat maps and disguised close buttons.

The MIIT has not yet named specific companies identified during its routine inspections, but the message is clear: the era of unchecked aggressive app advertising in China may be drawing to a close.