Chinese social media users have been debating new rules requiring internet platforms to verify a user’s true identity before letting them post online content.<\/p>\n
The new rules were issued on 25 August by the Cyberspace Administration of China.<\/p>\n
They will take effect on 1 October.<\/p>\n
China already has laws requiring firms to run identity checks on net users, but the new guidelines may require identity cards to be scanned online.<\/p>\n
Curbing rumour, free speech<\/strong><\/p>\n Some internet users welcomed the new rules as a way to combat rumours and fraudsters.<\/p>\n “It’s a real-name system that will protect user privacy and eliminate a number of people and businesses with no sense of social responsibility,” said a user in Guangdong Province.<\/p>\n One user described the move as representing a “keyboard warriors’ doomsday”.<\/p>\n Many internet users also voiced concerns about privacy or falling foul of the authorities.<\/p>\n “There are two sides to it,” said one user in Sichuan Province<\/p>\n “There will be fewer rumours, but public speech will also be monitored by the government. Who knows if there will only be one voice in the future?”<\/p>\n Another user – nicknamed mnbxkd, from Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province – wrote: “After commenting on the government, one will be thrown into prison on charges of subversion of state power.<\/p>\n And a user in Chongqing posted: “This will lead to a lot of people not daring to speak the truth because they risk being invited to tea if they tell the truth!… Should we not talk about affairs of state?”<\/p>\n Being “invited to tea” is internet slang for receiving a visit from law-enforcement officials.<\/p>\n “In fact, nobody is worried about a real-name system, but they are worried about a series of problems caused by the real-name system: how to ensure that the personal information of internet users will not be compromised, sold or found by human flesh searches?” commented another user in Chongqing.<\/p>\n “Human flesh search” is online slang for social media users working together online to find out information about individuals.<\/p>\n “If large and small websites can all have access to information on the identity of internet users, isn’t this dangerous? I think the state should establish a unified identity authentication interface for internet users,” said a user in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province.<\/p>\n Other web users also criticised the new rules as oppressive meddling by the state.<\/p>\n “Has your property been made public yet? How do you have the gall to ask us to register real names?” asked a Chinese user in the UK, referring to the disclosure of assets by officials.<\/p>\n “They must control everything, but they don’t care whether ordinary people can afford a home or afford to eat,” said a user in Guangzhou, Guangdong.<\/p>\n “It’s as though we’ve gone back 50 years!” said a user in Anhui Province.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chinese social media users have been debating new rules requiring internet platforms to verify a user’s true identity before letting them post online content. The new rules were issued on 25 August by the Cyberspace Administration of China. They will take effect on 1 October. China already has laws requiring firms to run identity checks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[106],"tags":[139,10648],"yoast_head":"\n