China is investigating a spam attack after almost half of China’s mobile phone users received unwanted text messages from advertisers.

The State Council, China’s cabinet, affirmed Sunday it is making a thorough investigation into the spammers, who were exposed by an investigative program on China Central Television earlier this month on the World Consumer Rights Day.

The uproar over what China’s media has dubbed “Text-message Gate” has drawn apologies from a major advertiser and the country’s biggest mobile phone carrier, China Mobile. The commercial text messages were sent to more than 200 million mobile phone users through two companies — China Mobile and its smaller rival, China Unicom.

But the size of the attack has meant that the state has become involved. Liu Yue, deputy head of the State Council Office for Rectifying Malpractice, said, “We urge parties concerned to beef up self-scrutiny to correct their wrongdoing, which is profit driven in defiance of public interests.”

Xinhua News Agency said that both government officials and business executives are working on ways to shape regulations on spam ID and blocking. There was no report as to when the investigation, or probe as it is being coined, would be completed.