Mobile phone customers will now have to present IDs when purchasing a phone number in the latest government campaign to curb the global scourge of spam, pornographic messages and fraud on cellular phones. The new rule came into effect on the first of this month.

Foreigners will also need to register with their passports or other ID in order to subscribe to mobile phone carriers.

As well, street newspaper stands will temporarily stop selling SIM cards, the Beijing Evening News reported.

Subscribers who did not show ID when they registered before the new regulations came into effect are encouraged to do so, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.