SHANGHAI (REUTERS) - China's internet supervisors have taken down more than 5,500 illegal apps for disseminating pornographic and violent content among other things, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday (Jan 24).

The move is the latest step taken by Beijing to clean up its cyberspace, having launched a crackdown on virtual private network services that allow users to bypass censorship on Monday.

More than 1,600 mobile video apps circulating pornographic and violent content were taken offline, said the cyberspace administration in China's southern province of Guangdong on Monday.

Over 1,200 social apps had pornographic content, while others hacked users' private information, infringed upon other rights or charged malicious fees.

The administration said illegal apps had been available on app stores operated by Tencent, China Mobile and other smartphone producers like Huawei, ZTE, Coolpad, Meizu, OPPO and VIVO.

Tencent, China Mobile, Huawei, Coolpad, Meizu, OPPO and VIVO could not be reached for comment. ZTE declined to immediately comment.

The administration said the apps violated cyber laws in China and said it would step up supervision.