IM services to use real names to clean up accounts

Instant messaging tool providers said on Friday they will clean up unhealthy public accounts and rumors using the real-name system required by China's Internet watchdog starting this week.

WeChat, a popular instant messaging tool designed by Tencent, will take more responsibility to protect the online environment and help eliminate rumors, said Jiang Yang, vice-president of Tencent, one of China's technology giants.

Approximately 800 million people use WeChat around the world, and most are registered with their cellphone numbers, according to data provided by Tencent. Tencent is encouraging longtime users to supply their true identities.