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China on Thursday criticized 41 apps including Tencent messaging app QQ and Sina's sports app for allegedly forcing users to hand over personal data, part of an ongoing campaign to boost digital privacy protections.

Tencent's app made it hard to deactivate accounts and required users to authorize access to a broad range of data, the industry and information technology ministry said.

Sina Sports, a major sports news site in China, collected personal information without permission, the ministry added in a statement.

QQ is popular with young people and has 653.4 million monthly active users, the second-largest messaging app in the country next to WeChat.

The 41 apps were ordered to make changes by Dec. 31 or face prosecution.

Tencent and Sina did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The ministry said it had asked more than 100 companies to make changes to software applications as part of the privacy crackdown, with more than 8,000 apps complying so far.