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Central Government, Connected Government, Policy

China’s Real Name Register targets “improper” web use

By Robin Hicks | 22 October 2010

Internet users in China will soon be required to reveal their identities before they surf the web. This, Chinese government officials have told FutureGov, will enable China’s netizens to “speak freely” in a secure environment.

The Real Name Registration (RNR) project, known as Wang Luo Shi Ming Zhi in Chinese, will require China’s 400 million internet users to enter their national ID card number, or other official ID number, before they can use popular news and commercial web sites.

Posting on a blog, forum, or commenting on social media would require use of a real name, or at least the deletion of an anonymous comment.

The idea is to curb spam and fraud, and prevent “improper use” of the web, explained Feng Weiping, Deputy Secretary General, Zhengzhou Municipal Government.

“We want to encourage people to speak freely. But we also want to ensure that the information that circulates on the internet is reliable, safe, and accurate,” he said in an interview at the FutureGov Summit.

“The internet is a free broadcasting platform, which can be used for malicious or fraudulent purposes.”

The RNR project is “still in the discussion stage”, and officials admitted that convincing China’s vast internet community to use the system would be a challenge.

Wang Jianmin (pictured), Director, Information Industry Bureau, Jiangmen City Government, Guangdong, noted: “People who speak loudly online help us find solutions to social problems,” he said. “There is a social need for us to express ourselves online. The issue is how we encourage everyone to do so, in a more secure environment.”

China has already implemented a real-name registration system targeted at the country’s 800 million mobile and 300 million fixed line phone users.

The phased programme will see new customers register with their identity card numbers or other valid documents when buying a pre-paid SIM card from mobile phone operators. Foreigners living in China are also required to register with their passports or ID cards to sign up to services.

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