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posted by janrinok on Saturday February 28 2015, @03:47AM   Printer-friendly
from the the-free-world-will-copy-in-5..4..3.. dept.

Starting March 1, China will ban internet accounts that impersonate people or organizations, and enforce the requirement that people use real names when registering accounts online, its internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), said on Wednesday.

The new regulations are part of efforts to impose real-name registration requirements on internet users and halt the spread of rumors online, the CAC said. Internet companies will have the responsibility to enforce the rules.

On Tuesday, the CAC accused NetEase Inc, a U.S.-listed Chinese web portal, of spreading rumors and pornography. And last month, 133 WeChat accounts were shut down for "distorting history", state media reported.

 
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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by kaszz on Saturday February 28 2015, @06:29AM

    by kaszz (4211) on Saturday February 28 2015, @06:29AM (#150949) Journal

    Pay attention to this as to how a government stifles freedom of expression because the there's only reason to know your identity if repressive action is planned.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Insightful=1, Interesting=1, Total=2
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4  
  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @06:32AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @06:32AM (#150951)

    And yet you logged in to post. There's only one reason to be logged in. You want to gain reputation from your posts, because you're a karma whore.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @06:35AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @06:35AM (#150953)

      And yet you logged in to post.

      Voluntarily logging into a site that you voluntarily visit on an account that very likely isn't even your real name is the same as the government repressing freedom of expression? Silly AC...

    • (Score: 4, Funny) by NotSanguine on Saturday February 28 2015, @06:42AM

      by NotSanguine (285) <reversethis-{grO ... a} {eniugnaStoN}> on Saturday February 28 2015, @06:42AM (#150960) Homepage Journal

      And yet you logged in to post. There's only one reason to be logged in. You want to gain reputation from your posts, because you're a karma whore.

      Actually, logging in has quite a few other benefits, friend. Like modding you down for trolling. Which I won't do, as your inept attempts at same should be seen by as many folks as possible, if only to prove the adage "'tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."

      Doubt has been removed. Good. I hate doubt.

      --
      No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @07:15AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @07:15AM (#150968)

    > Pay attention to this as to how a government stifles freedom of expression

    Kind of like facebook [lastrealindians.com] and native americans. [countercurrentnews.com]

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @07:46AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @07:46AM (#150983)

    FWIW, in Brazil anonymous speech is constitutionally forbidden: [mit.edu]

    Article 5, IV : the expression of thought is free, anonymity being forbidden;

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Saturday February 28 2015, @08:05AM

    by frojack (1554) on Saturday February 28 2015, @08:05AM (#150992) Journal

    Pay attention to this as to how a government stifles freedom of expression because the there's only reason to know your identity if repressive action is planned.

    There must be a total avalanche of rumors on the internet in China.
    TFA also says:

    Many users of social media create parody accounts of prominent figures and institutions to poke fun at them.

    Why wouldn't they just watch for Registrations using THOSE names?

    You can find the same stuff here, total crap postings, but most people in the US and Europe are educated enough not to trust any random rant on the internet. You would think that teaching their citizens to think for themselves and check facts would be more educational than suppressing rumor posts.

    Nothing is said about non-rumors (truths) that they would like to suppress.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 1) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @11:21AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @11:21AM (#151017)

      > Why wouldn't they just watch for Registrations using THOSE names?

      Because that's not really the issue they care about. They want to control the dissemination of information.

      They have already decreed that authors will be charged with defamation if 'false information' is reposted more than 500 times via social networks. [theguardian.com]

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 01 2015, @06:13PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 01 2015, @06:13PM (#151594)

      You would think that teaching their citizens to think for themselves and check facts would be more educational than suppressing rumor posts.

      I guess the very last thing they want to teach their citizens is to think for themselves. Because they might use that ability also on the government's propaganda.