The Chinese government is extending its anti-porn campaign to mobile phone messages after shutting down 1,250 websites, it said on Monday.

"We will incorporate 'lewd' messages spread via mobile phones into the crackdown," said seven government departments including the State Council's Information Office, Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Culture who jointly launched the campaign at a meeting, aiming to outline future tasks of the move.

As part of the anti-porn campaign authorities have shut down 1,250 websites and deleted more than 3.2 million items of online information alleged to contain porn and vulgar content by Wednesday since Jan. 5.

So far, 41 people have been detained for "promulgating porn online".

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2009)