China's top Internet regulator vowed to crack down on pornography and vulgar online information ahead of the upcoming Spring Festival.

The State Internet Information Office warned that the amount of pornography and vulgar information saw an increase on the Internet recently, which is damaging social ethics as well as the online environment, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The websites spreading pornography and vulgar information will be strictly punished or even shut down. Unqualified websites should be closed, said the office.

Some pornographic websites are using overseas servers but are operated by domestic owners, and these people will be punished according to the law, the report said.

The office also vowed to punish those who provide online pornography via cell phones.

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