SHENZHEN-BASED Tencent, which operates instant messaging services QQ and WeChat, has been fined for failing to prevent pornographic content from being spread via its products and services.

    Tencent is among four Chinese Internet giants, the others being Sina, Sohu and Xunlei, that have been punished for failing to check questionable content since August.

    However, authorities in Shenzhen and Beijing did not reveal the details of the violations and the amounts of the fines.

    In another development, police in Beijing and Guangzhou have detained 62 suspects for using social media to organize prostitution or spread pornography, according to China’s anti-pornography authorities.

    Beijing police have busted four operations and captured 25 suspects for organizing prostitution via microblogs and instant messaging services since a campaign against pornography began in August, according to a statement jointly released by the National Anti-pornography and Anti-illegal Publications Office and the Ministry of Public Security.

    The other 37 suspects were seized in Guangdong Province for similar offenses.

    Police have been hunting down porn providers on social media as fast and early as possible to stop the spread of the material.

    On Wednesday, 14 typical cases were publicized.

    In Foshan, Guangdong, 17 suspects were detained Aug. 25 for using WeChat, China’s leading smartphone messaging platform, to disseminate obscene images, post adverts recruiting prostitutes and organize prostitution services. Among them, 11 were held for criminal investigation.

    In Dongguan, a suspect surnamed Zheng reportedly uploaded 8,951 pornographic images via a Tencent microblog account in April and May and clocked up more than 1 million visits.  (SD-Xinhua)