As smartphones have gained popularity in China, privacy concerns have shifted from calls to the mobile Internet. About 420 million people in China had surfed the Internet via a mobile phone by the end of 2012, according to the China Internet Network Center.

Li Gang, chief technical officer of the State Information Center Software Testing Center, said all areas of online security, such as risk assessment and security reinforcement, must be strictly controlled to create a safe and reliable network and prevent the illegal disclosure of personal information.

Li said consumers should be aware of the risks of installing new applications on computers or mobile phones: "Awareness of personal information protection should be heightened and timely complaints should be submitted to the provider," he said. "Before hardware or software is put into use, technical analysis should be conducted to strengthen real-time monitoring and reduce risks."