BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have launched a crackdown on the spread of pornographic content online, including material that uses virtual reality (VR) technology.

A statement issued by the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications on Tuesday said that the office is cracking down on the use of new technology, such as cloud storage, online livestreaming and VR to spread pornography.

Upon reports from the public and media, the office has organized monitoring and inspections of some suspected e-commerce platforms and social media accounts on Sina Weibo and WeChat, according to the statement.

In one case in November last year, police in Shenzhen held 26 suspects and closed eight illegal sites involved in relevant violations.

The office stressed that spreading pornographic content, whether for profit or not, will be subject to administrative or criminal punishment.

The office also encouraged the public to report offenses via its telephone hotline and promised rewards for such tips.