China Backs Off Effort to ID Bloggers
Despite government announcements last year that it would begin to require bloggers in China to register their real names, the latest “draft self discipline code” for bloggers published by the government-supported Internet Society of China (ISC), says that registration of real names is “encouraged” rather than compulsory. Below is an excerpt from the May 22 Xinhua news story:
“The attraction of a blog rests in its confidentiality where people can say what they want, without worrying about it affecting their real lives. One can have different names online, which represent different lives,” said a Internet user “Xingxingcao”.
Another user “Weiyan” said real-name registration would deter bloggers speaking the truth for fear of being identified.
Interesting that the government’s in both China and the US have had difficulties passing ID initiatives because of public resistance. In March, the US government was forced to announce a 20-month delay in its deadline for the nation-wide adoption of its own Real ID standards due to growing resistance at the state level.
Posted: May 23rd, 2007 under Code, ID, Main, Tech, U.S..
Comments: 1
Comments
Pingback from U.S.-China Surveillance » Xiamen SEZ attempts ban on anonymous web postings
Time: July 9, 2007, 6:02 am
[...] After the highly successful public protest against the Haicang PX chemical plant in China’s Xiamen Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the city government has announced draft rules banning anonymous web posting for city residents. The move, first reported in the Beijing Youth Daily, is causing considerable controversy and has reignited the debate over a recently shelved national policy requiring mainland Chinese bloggers to register their real names. At this time it is unclear whether the move is supported by the national government, though early indications are that it is a unilateral action by the city government, which stands to lose significant tax revenue if the US$1.4 billion plant is forced to close permanently. Guangzhou city’s South Metropolis News quoted He Bing of the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing saying “Only the National People’s Congress has the right to legislate on this issue.” It is also doubtful whether the city alone could enforce such a measure online, which also includes new rules for pre-publication vetting of content. Over one million people involved the June 1 protest were prompted by mobile text messages, BBS, and blog postings, though the local local media had blacked out coverage. n the The one millionpeaceful protest against the plant was organized with the help of more than one million [...]
Write a comment