China Will Punish Internet Firms Tencent, Baidu For Spreading Porn

11 companies including Tencent Holdings and Baidu will be fined for spreading pornography and violence, China's ministry of culture said according to state news agency Xinhua. 

In April, China had launched an anti-pornography campaign as part of wider efforts to "clean up" the Internet. 

According to Xinhua, mobile game platforms run by Tencent, search engine giant Baidu and other nine companies were alleged to be involved in pornography, gambling and violence. 

The report cited a statement from the culture ministry as saying that some products had challenged "accepted moral values," Reuters reported. 

Liu Qiang, a deputy director in the market department of the ministry, said the fine amounts would be published later.

"We hope that major companies can shoulder their due, social responsibilities and offer healthy, quality, cultural products," Xinhua cited Liu as saying.

The ministry also discovered comic and animated products that contained "bloody, terror and violent content" on 21 websites run by companies such as China Telecom and Tencent, Xinhua said.

In May, Beijing authorities had fined Internet firm Sina Corp. 5.1 million yuan for allowing "unhealthy and indecent content" on its online reading channel and on its main website.

Baidu has also been issued warning by Chinese authorities to clean up its content after pornographic files were found on its online storage service.