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China Demands Real Names From Mobile Phone Users

Posted by samzenpus on from the no-more-aka dept.

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."

4 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. Unusual? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We have had to show photo id for as long as I can remember in Austraila when getting a new phone or sim card.

    There really isn't that much seperating "us" and the "bad" guys these days except we are "us".

    1. Re:Unusual? by jpapon · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Well it seems like Australia actually has some of the most draconian laws in the "western" world concerning things like the internet, anonymity, porn, censorship and so on. And yes, I know Australia isn't in the west.

      --
      -- Let us endeavor so to live that when we pass even the undertaker shall be sorry. -- M. Twain
  2. Good! by Local+ID10T · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Now when they try to push the same legislation thru here in the USA all it will take is a quick comparison to COMMUNIST CHINA to get the politicians to vehemently oppose it....

    --
    "You want to know how to help your kids? Leave them the fuck alone." -George Carlin
  3. Re:Nothing new... by Psaakyrn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    False, they'll just define something else as terrorism.