China Demands Real Names From Mobile Phone Users 187
itwbennett writes "Starting this month, mobile carriers in China are requiring people who set up new mobile phone accounts to register with their real names as part of a new government measure to reduce anonymity among the country's 800 million mobile users. And within 3 years, the carriers must also register the real identities of all existing users, said China Telecom spokesman Xu Fei. The new policy comes as China has been pushing users to register with their real names online. In August, online gamers had to begin real-name registration under regulations that are meant to protect minors from Internet addiction and 'unhealthy' content."
Isn't this the same in the US? (Score:4, Insightful)
I seem to recall AT&T demanding my social security number when I signed up.
Re:Isn't this the same in the US? (Score:2, Insightful)
I seem to recall AT&T demanding my social security number when I signed up
That's probably because they run a credit check on you since you're entering into a contract with them and they typically subsidize your phone price.
I'm not sure, but I believe you can get a prepaid phone without a social or anything like that. And since most phones in China run on the pre-paid model, there's no need to keep track of who people actually are.
Re:Isn't this the same in the US? (Score:1, Insightful)
That's so they can run a credit check on you. They don't really care if you are who you claim, what they care is whether you can pay your bill.
Ah, America.
Re:Isn't this the same in the US? (Score:5, Insightful)
And you just gave it to them? No, they do not have the right to demand your SSN, and you are under no obligation to provide it to acquire a cellphone. Laws in some states even make this practice illegal, assuming that they would not back down on the demand (if they back down, no problem, they can ask, they are just required to bow to your refusal).
Re:Wow.. these kids are pretty trusting... (Score:4, Insightful)
Or, they know better than to object publicly. Or the news agency made sure to print only comments favorable to the policy -- a practice not, alas, restricted to China.
Re:Wow.. these kids are pretty trusting... (Score:2, Insightful)
In reality they probably don't even exist. Why go out on the street to get comments on something, especially if you know everyone is too scared to give you anything but the party line anyways?
Re:Unusual? (Score:1, Insightful)
You know there is a solution. [metagovernment.org]
But it requires thinking and being free. Things that scare people.
Maybe we are better off with "the government" (who exactly is that, if it is not us?) taking care of us.
Re:Nothing new... (Score:5, Insightful)
India has been doing this for years. It's not possible to get a sim card without a valid 'proof' of your identity. It's another matter that if the terrorists really want to get a sim card, this requirement wont stop them - as it's very easy to get forged documents.
If all terrorism disappeared tomorrow never to reappear in any form whatsoever, governments everywhere would mourn its passing.
Re:India already does that and more (Score:4, Insightful)
I like how people always feel like they have to cite that India is the world's largest democracy, as if that amounts to a hill of beans. Does doing terribly stupid, ineffective, and seemingly oppressive things magically become OK just because some plurality of the people managed to strategically vote their party into a leading position? I think not. At least the Communist Party in China doesn't have to go through the indignity of lying about their intentions and motivations.
Re:Nothing new... (Score:5, Insightful)
Requiring it has been required in Norway for a while.
This is the direct result of people abusing the system by getting pre-paid phones and being cockbags with them. Now you cant get anonymous phones.
Personally I do not have an issue with this. While I love privacy I also think that at some point you need to have a certain amount of accountability. Being called up at 4 in the morning by some assbag pretending to be a customer at work.... not amusing.... not at all....
Then again, almost nobody opt out of the cellular phone registry here, so if I have a phone number or a name I can find the other. Their street address is also in this system.
Anyone can query it at sites like Gulesider.no ("yellowpages").
If you dont want people to know who you are, then dont call them :p
Re:Nothing new... (Score:2, Insightful)
Mrs Thatcher call Nelson Mandela a terrorist. Given current legal definitions many much admired historical figures could be classified as terrorists.
Nah, terrorists try and fail. Those who succeed become heroes.
Re:In democratic Bulgaria... (Score:3, Insightful)
It's too bad all the innocent people have to be punished without a trial for something to prevent crime. That's especially true since it won't prevent crime, and only may make it easier to prosecute criminals after the crime is committed. In fact, it will likely cause more crime, like armed robbery of people with cell phones so the crooks have phones that aren't tracked to them.