(Yicai Global) July 26 -- China's virtual private network policy is aimed at better standardizing market behavior and will not affect companies or individuals using them legally, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Tuesday.

The country is infamous for preventing access to leading search provider Google and many of its services, several news websites and top social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in order to restrict information coming into the country. In order to access these websites, which expats and even Chinese locals use to communicate with friends and family overseas, users must connect via a VPN to re-route their connection.

The new regulation is to clean up VPN use by unlicensed enterprises and individuals, Zhang Feng, ministry spokesman and chief engineer, said at a State Council Information Office press briefing.

The policy will target VPN users who illegally conduct in cross-border telecommunications activities without approval from the telecoms authority, without being qualified as an international communications business or through the leasing of international private lines or VPNs, Zhang added.

It will not be a problem for domestic or foreign companies or individuals who legally access blocked websites, he said. If foreign trade or multinational firms need to connect overseas through private lines or similar methods, they may rent from telecoms operators who have international gateways in place.

Chinese law does not allow the dissemination of harmful or violent information, said Wen Ku, director of the ministry's Information and Communication Development Department.