The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced new regulations which will require users of an array of web services to register with their real names and avoid spreading content which challenges what the Wall Street Journal’s Josh Chin referred to as national interests.
These sweeping regulations arrive after China began their crackdown on VPN services last month. The new regulations require users to register with a combination of their name as well as their official ID beginning on March 1, 2015.
The new policy requiring people to register with their real names has been implemented before, as Tech Crunch reported previously that social network Weibo had enforced real names back in 2012.
News of the new regulations, which were published by the Chinese government’s Internet regulators on the official CAC website, indicated that Internet information service providers should follow a “background rel name, foreground voluntary” principle which requires Internet service users to authenticate “through the true identity information registered account.”
News of the act published by the CAC listed a number of unacceptable “situations” which included, but were not limited to the following:
- violation of the Constitution or laws or regulations
- jeopardize national security, leaking state secrets, subverting state power, undermining national unity
- harm national honor and interests, harm the public interest
- to incite ethnic hatred, ethnic discrimination, undermining national unity
- Undermining national religious policy, promoting cults and feudal superstition
- spread rumors, disturb public order or disrupt social stability
- spreading obscenity, pornography, gambling, violence, homicide, terror or instigate crimes
- insult or slander others, against the legitimate rights of others
Users of web services in violation of the provisions of the act will “be dealt with by the relevant departments in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.”
What are your thoughts on China’s latest Internet regulations?
Note: all translations via Google Translation.
