China has cleaned up more than 7 million pieces of "harmful information" in a recent campaign to create a healthy cyberspace, according to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).

China’s cyber watchdog said on Wednesday that as of Jan. 21, more than 7.09 million items of online information as well as 9,382 mobile apps have been cleaned up, and more than 308,000 online accounts have been cancelled. CAC also criticized tech giant Tencent’s Tiantian Kuaibao news app -- which means “quick daily news -- for spreading “vulgar information”.

"Online information producer, Tiantian Kuaibao, was found to have spread vulgar, negative and harmful information, which damaged the online environment and drew public backlash," CAC said.

Tencent and other websites have been ordered to overhaul their operations, the watchdog said in its notice without elaborating.

The regulator also criticized Huaban, a photo-sharing social network, as having “serious ecosystem problems”. Huaban said on its website its online service had been temporarily taken down for upgrades.

Control of the internet has tightened under President Xi Jinping since 2016, as the ruling Communist Party seeks to crack down on dissent in the booming social media landscape.