Chinese authorities have issued a warning to five of the country's well-known e-commerce platforms, over the sale of illegal virtual private networks (VPNs); that allows users to evade state censorship controls. Online retailers named in the notice include Alibaba, social shopping network Mogujie, and entertainment platforms Xiami and Peiyinxiu. This step is the latest in a chain of measures the Chinese authorities have taken in order to maintain more control over online content. A little over a month ago, China blocked VPN access for individuals, instructing companies to register with the government. Later on, complying with this mandate, Apple removed all major VPN apps from the Chinese App Store.