China Moving to Real Name Registrations for Blogs

dptalia writes "China is moving to require people to use their real names when blogging. The proposed solution, arrived at by the Internet Society of China (affiliated with the ministry of information) would allow bloggers to use a pseudonym when blogging as long as they used their real name when registering."

oblig

[Digitus1337 (671442)]

I'm sure that there is a "Laung Wang" joke in there somewhere.

Re:

[IcyNeko (891749)]

Are you kidding? Sum Yun Gai all the way.

Re:

[Ironsides (739422)]

Nah, I'm willing to bet a lot of people will be "named"
Chen Duxiu, Qu Qiubai, Xiang Zhongfa, Li Lisan, Wang Ming, Bo Gu, Zhang Wentian, Mao Zedong, Hua Guofeng, Hu Yaobang, Hu Yaobang, Zhao Ziyang, Jiang Zemin or Hu Jintao. Pretty much the equivalent to someone in the US calling themselves George Washington, Abraham Lincold and so on.

Re:

[Bing Tsher E (943915)]

I'm willing to bet nobody will have the guts to register as Liu Shiochi or Chou Enlai (sp?)

Re:

[Ironsides (739422)]

I would have posted the John Smith equivalent, but I don't know what that is. If you do, post it.

Re:oblig

[bigdavesmith (928732)]

TFA doesn't give any details, but I'd be willing to bet that 'registering your real name' doesn't mean they just give you a box and you type in "Sandy O'Hoolahan". Considering China's record with internet regulation, there's probably going to be enough checks and controls so that once you register, if you blog something they don't like, they can find you.

How long?

[PixieDust (971386)]

With the way things are going many other places (especially given recent court battles here in the US about children online and privacy and protection), How long until we see tactics like this on THIS side of the Pacific?

Additionally, tactics like this in China, I can't help but wonder, will this in some way allow US Intelligence to decide exactly who is responsible for attacks against US Cyber Targets? If people are required to use their REAL names when registering (let's say on Yahoo just for an example), and there is a Yahoo group comprised of mostly Chinese users, which post all kinds of anti-American things, or organizing these attacks, what's to stop US Intelligence from forcing Yahoo to turn over the names of those registered?

Furthermore, what if the US decides to expand the "Patrio" Act, to include requirements like this (Hell they've already forced ISPs and phone companies into turning over ludicrous amounts of information).

Maybe I'm wearing a tin-foil hat and not realizing it, but is anyone else troubled by the recent trend in online privacy intrusions? That is one thing that is nice about the internet, it affords you a certain amount of anonymity. Could we be witnessing the end of that?

Also, just how much REAL difference is there in the US's privacy invasion crimes, and China's? Could it be that China is just more blatant about it?

Re:

[TastyCakes (917232)]

I'm just trying to figure out how you turned this into a criticism of america... that was smooth man, I got to the end and had to remind myself that I don't have to register a blog in my real name..

Re:How long?

[aussie_a (778472)]

I'm just trying to figure out how you turned this into a criticism of america... that was smooth man, I got to the end and had to remind myself that I don't have to register a blog in my real name..

yet.

Juridiction

[DrYak (748999)]

what's to stop US Intelligence from forcing Yahoo to turn over the names of those registered?

Simply because the server of the China branch of Yahoo who are legally forced to hold this information will probably be on chinese territory and thus, clearly outside the juridiction of FBI.
Simetricaly, China's police won't be able to force any information out of the american branch of Yahoo... ...at least unless AOL manages to buy Yahoo and decides to publish study...

At the top-level, multinationnal mega corp are

China -- thanks for the perfect example

[by Anonymous Coward]

This is a perfect example of why we need to preserve the possibility of anonymity on the net.

It's fine to authenticate financial transactions and what not, but there is no complete freedom of speech without the ability to be anonymous at times.

Re:China -- thanks for the perfect example

[bunions (970377)]

> there is no complete freedom of speech without the ability to be anonymous at times.

I think you mean "there is no complete freedom from the repercussions of your speech without the ability to be anonymous at times."

Re:

[RobotRunAmok (595286)]

there is no complete freedom of speech without the ability to be anonymous

Sure there is. There is just no *comfortable* freedom of speech without anonymity.

Re:

[From A Far Away Land (930780)]

Anonymous, like a Slashdot coward, is the way to go ;-)

Re:China -- thanks for the perfect example

[Beryllium Sphere(tm) (193358)]

The Supreme Court agrees with you (as did the Founding Fathers who published the Federalist Papers under a pseudonym).

McIntyre vs. Ohio Elections Commission (514 U.S. 334 (1995)) ended with the Supreme Court deciding "an author's decision to remain anonymous, like other decisions concerning omissions or additions to the content of a publication, is an aspect of the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment." Talley vs. California was decided with the comment "[p]ersecuted groups and sects from time to time throughout history have been able to criticize oppressive practices and laws either anonymously or not at all."

Nor is fear of persecution the only issue. The Supreme Court also noted "On occasion, quite apart from any threat of persecution, an advocate may believe her ideas will be more persuasive if her readers are unaware of her identity. Anonymity thereby provides a way for a writer who may be personally unpopular to ensure that readers will not prejudge her message simply because they do not like its proponent."

Anyway, I don't envy the Chinese authorities investigating a blogger and having to walk through the country going "Is there a Chang here? We're looking for Chang."

yeah, the name's zhang

[by Anonymous Coward]

that really narrows it down.

How will that apply to laowai

[ihatewinXP (638000)]

As a foreigner in China this is distressing.

While you may enjoy some courtesies in day to day life and doing business The Law is generally not to be messed with. As is distributing dissent in whatever medium you may choose no matter where you come from. I wonder very much how this will affect western news agencies as well. I had heard of thes laws coming ont he books when I arrived but this is the first I have really heard since.

Honestly though I dont think it will change too much for ordinary Chinese. The

From the ... dept

[wik (10258)]

Is it too much to ask for a little professionalism with an article's "from the ... dept"?

Re:From the ... dept

[by Anonymous Coward]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19 [penny-arcade.com]

a refutation

[foreverdisillusioned (763799)]

A famous, funny, and somewhat insightful joke to be sure, but I'd have to say that the vast majority of insightful, inspiring, bullshit-cutting dialog I've ever witness (or partaken in) has been on the internet. Check out the top of that blackboard--the comic was inspired by Unreal Tournament 2004, not +5 Insightful comments on slashdot. For all of the bullshit and flame wars out there, I think that anonymity inspires honesty and frankness that, while holding the potential to inspire personal attacks and

Re:

[SenatorTreason (640653)]

Yeah, I'd have to agree. I was a bit surprised and disappointed. While I'm not particularly against "fuckwad", I would like think that a Slashdot editor could do a bit better.

Mountains Out Of Molehills

[thelifter (1017186)]

I feel bad for the Chinese government. I mean with all the free trade and stuff they're barely even communist anymore. You may call stunts like this "repression". I call it China staying in touch with it's roots. Remember the chairman. (A single tear falls)

Annoying, yes, but...

[808140 (808140)]

Names are by no means unique identifiers in China -- there are only a hundred or so family names in common use and the characters used in people's names are often recycled. With the population of China being as large as it is, even if you use your real name there could easily be 50 people in your area who have exactly the same name.

Now if they were requiring that a person register with their ID number -- everyone in China has one -- that would be something. It surprises me, actually, that they're not doing that. I wonder why?

Re:

[xSquaredAdmin (725927)]

The society, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Information Industry, said no decision had been made but that a 'real name system' was inevitable.

Judging by that quote, I get the impression that they aren't necessarily going by real names, but some sort of identifier which would allow them to determine which individual posted content, which could very well be the ID number that you speak of.

my thoughts

[ThorGod (456163)]

FUCK YOU CHINA!

And by China I mean "Chinese government". Seems appropriate as the rest of the world mistakes US for US government!

Where did the US government come from?

[EmbeddedJanitor (597831)]

Sure, you can say that Bush did not get the majority of the votes, but he got well over 40%. So while you might not individually be responsible for the government there are enough people in the US that are.

Ingenious

[MBCook (132727)]

This is simply ingenious. Someone deserves a promotion. This is so good, I thought it was a good idea. It took me a couple of minutes to realize the insidiousness of this.

This isn't a problem or that much of a burden at all for all those people who want to blog about the same random stuff. What they did today, their fights with their friends, etc. While annoying, it's a definite step up from no blogging at all. This will probably make a great many teens happy (if they are anything like the people on blogge

Re:

[MarkusQ (450076)]

But it could just as well be ingenious in the opposite direction as well. I note that it says nothing about addresses being required. In a country with well over a billion people, what are the chances of anyone having a unique name?

As always with this sort of thing, the devil will be in the details. It may be as bad as you think, but it might be a clever sap for the PHBs with no teeth what so ever. Sort of a "Who is Wen Chen and why is he saying these horrible things about me?" situation.

--MarkusQ

Good luck with that

[opencity (582224)]

Reminds me of The Stainless Steel Rat. When the blogging gets tough, so do the remaining bloggers.
When I was in China in the 90s they had blocked cnn.com but only the front page.

I, for one...

[vga_init (589198)]

I actually think that this is a good idea (sort of). I think that when it comes to publications (not private data), anonymity is one of the Internets weak points. There would be less people mucking things up if they were personally identified.

I don't see personal identification as a problem in places like the US where there are laws that protect their right to speech and whatnot, but in China I have a feeling that this will get a lot of people in prison.

Sometimes people need to know who you are so that

How can they tell if a registered name is real?

[Orion Blastar (457579)]

I mean do they have software that can detect a real name from a fake one? Most of the web sites and blogs I have registered with have no idea that Orion Blastar is not my real name. I even get postal mail addressed to Orion Blastar from my web registations (I used my real postal address with my pen-name) and even the junk mail and credit card companies think that Orion Blastar is for real, despite not having a SSN tied to the name at any of the credit reporting companies. With the USA having more advanced t

Re:It's a different society.

[Dr. Donuts (232269)]

Actually, this sort of thing would be labeled "fighting terrorism" in the US.

Re:It's a different society.

[bunions (970377)]

exactly. let's not get up on our moral high horse here. We americans still live in a country where all our phone calls and internet traffic are monitored.

Re:

[Lumpy (12016)]

And dont forget, our political dissidents are put in prison as well, arrest of a citizen based on nothing but desire, etc...

America is not very far away from Communist china or North Korea.. At least our current leaders are hell bent to get us to what they have.

I'm waiting for us to be required to carry our papers, and have a passport for inter-state travel.

Think I am joking???? It's on it's way kids, to help save us from T E R R O R I S M !

Re:

[bunions (970377)]

Dear Lumpy,

Please don't be on my side.

Sincerely,

bunions

Re:

[iamacat (583406)]

You do need ID for interstate travel. A driver license is needed to fly, obviously drive, check into a hotel, get a credit card, apply for a job or rent an apartment. Sure, you can hitchhike, live in a barrack with a dozen of illegal Mexicans and take cash jobs as a gardener. Kind of like those North Korean refugees in China. But how many political dissidents, which tend to be intellectual types, are cut out for such a lifestyle?

Re:It's a different society.

[operagost (62405)]

Not mine. You must live in a different dimension where Democratic party talking points are reality.

Re:It's a different society.

[by Anonymous Coward]

Prove that. Prove that although we can be monitored, we aren't. Because I can prove otherwise: I worked for a company called ClientLogic that does customer service and Tech Support for Earthlink in Albuquerque, NM. Every single message you send out through Webmail is kept on a server, whether or not you delete it at home. We even had the option of reading your mail and then checking a box to Mark them as "Unread". Because you are such a compliant citizen, it makes no difference to you, I'm sure, but all servers do that. If we didn't like what we read, we were trained to report it anonymously at work or simply to call DHS on our own.
And just like I'm sure in China they will be scanning large amounts of date for keywords, the same thing is done here. Noone is sitting there reading everything but certain sites and certain keywords or phrases activate surveillance on you. Google Total Information Awareness and Ecehelon...

Re:It's a different society.

[McFadden (809368)]

none of your data transactions are monitored unless there's a court order

Funny - I thought it was exactly the fact that they weren't obtaining the necessary court order that has brought the Bush administration so much criticism recently.

Re:

[thule (9041)]

And just how does the military (NSA) bring a warrant request to a civilian court? This is why the NSA monitors known terrorist numbers (the target) and reports them to the FBI when there is a possible connection to a US Person/Citizen (not the target of monitoring). The FBI then has to get a FISA warrant. It has been reported in the Washington Post that FISA judges will not issue a warrant to the FBI solely based on a NSA lead. The FBI must first provide some further reason/evidence for a warrant.

This i

Re:

[Will_Malverson (105796)]

That sort of thing would be labeled fascist in China, too, except that any person who did so would promptly find him / herself in a work camp if lucky, and six feet under if not.

As for enforcing it, you just need to hire a few thousand people to work at the Ministry of Information, reading blogs and checking the registration of the blog. Check the IP address that the person blogs from and make sure it matches up with the registrant. If not, trace the IP. Pretty simple stuff, really.

fascist?

[krell (896769)]

Fascists who quote Marx tend to be called socialists or communists. The difference is really very superficial.

Re:

[Mr. Underbridge (666784)]

In the US, that sort of thing would be labeled fascist. What are their rights, anyway? Do they even have any?

Damn it, that's not fascism. China does share some of the characteristics of a fascist state, but there are many non-fascist states that do not allow free speech. Different societies have different values, and in the growing homogenization of the West, that's lost sometimes.

Re:It's a different society.

[realmolo (574068)]

"Different societies have different values"

Yeah, and any society that stifles free speech is a society that needs to change.

Let's not pretend that "to each his own" applies when we're talking about governments/religions/societies that restrict basica human freedoms. The reason that "Western culture" is taking over in most of the world is because it is a BETTER CULTURE in many, if not most, ways. Too many people mistakenly wax nostalgiac for the good old days of the Old World, and forget that the Old World was mostly a living hell for the vast majority of the non-ruling class.

Re:

[Unordained (262962)]

To reinforce the parent's point -- consider the concept of "social contract", particularly with the clause that a lack of effective resistance is tantamount to consent: the people of China silently agree to let themselves be governed this way, in exchange for the (possibly unequal in value) "benefit" of knowing that most of their fellow citizens are mostly equally deprived of those rights, forming a more homogenous, calm society -- and it's worth it to them not to revolt en masse. You can sign away some of

Different society?

[krell (896769)]

"but there are many non-fascist states that do not allow free speech"

That's not a matter of "different values". It is a matter of government tyranny. In fact, such suppression of speech is one of the important "foundation stones" of fascism.

Re:

[hunterx11 (778171)]

Different societies have different values, and in the growing homogenization of the West, that's lost sometimes.

Article 35. Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration. [people.com.cn]

Re:It's a different society.

[Pantero Blanco (792776)]

The same thing is in place for registering .us domain names, isn't it?

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/31/01 4239&from=rss [slashdot.org]

Re:

[RappinTonyG (697324)]

The reason for domain name registration is so that a name is not consumed by an uncontactable individual. It's like owning a building to print/sell newspapers. If something happens to the property or you do something to it, they may need to contact you about it. What this is saying, however, is that you have to use a name that can be traced when blogging, which is an exclusivly speech activity. Basically it seems they require all journalists to be registered. This would be like the US government requir

Re:

[Marcos Eliziario (969923)]

I wonder if the GP has any idea of how nazi his/ser comment sounds. "Clean up... Something that I classify as trash" DISCLAIMER: I am not a racist, nazi or any of those things, but acting like a nazi against nazis makes you a nazi also. I am for the law, only the law, not hate.