Empowering users to tame pesky pre-installed apps

As mobile phone penetration reaches deeper into China, the industry regulator is stepping up efforts to ensure that the valuable real estate on smartphone screens is reserved for apps consumers really want.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology circulated a draft plan in November that said users must be given the choice to delete apps pre-installed on their mobile gadgets.

The regulation further said consumers should have a full say over what apps they want to install. All pre-installed apps, except for must-haves like e-mail, should be designed in a way which allows consumers to remove them.