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    January 19, 2012

China's 'Netizens' React to Stricter Rules on Microblogging

   VOA News
   In this photo taken, July 14, 2010, Chinese men use computers at an
   internet cafe in Beijing, China. Photo: AP
   In this photo taken, July 14, 2010, Chinese men use computers at an
   internet cafe in Beijing, China. China's Twitter-like microblogs are
   facing new restrictions by the government.

   Internet users in China are speaking out about a plan to eliminate
   anonymity on the country's popular microblogs, saying that the move
   will limit their freedoms online.

   The plan, roughly outlined by senior propaganda officials in Beijing
   Wednesday, mandates that Chinese-based microblog operators obtain
   certified real names from their users upon registering new accounts. In
   a second phase, existing accounts will also be required to provide real
   information about their identity.

   Wang Chen, minister of the State Council Information Office, justified
   the government's policy to counter 'false, illegal and obscene
   information that might harm the healthy development of the Internet in
   China.'

   Wang added that such orderly development is a wish of the Chinese
   Internet users known as 'netizens.'

   On Weibo, China's most popular Twitter-like website, bloggers
   challenged Wang's claim.

   Internet user Mengfei asked for 'convincing proofs' that Chinese
   netizens actually want a name registration system. 'When I heard this,
   it made me want to curse,' he wrote in a post on Thursday.

   A netizen nicknamed Mister Langfeng said that the real name
   registration system would further limit opportunities for free
   expression for Chinese Internet users.

   China, with an online population of more than 505 million people, is
   the world's largest Internet market. The Chinese government blocks
   Internet access to some U.S.-based social networking sites, such as
   Twitter and Facebook, but there are many domestic microblogging sites.

   Half of Internet users in China regularly use microblogging services
   and commentators have dubbed 2011 'the year of Weibo,' with a nearly
   300 percent increase in usage from the year before.

   Major news events are widely debated on these online services, where
   anonymity often allows netizens to be more frank.

   Traditionally sensitive topics like government corruption, food safety
   scandals and human rights spark lively discussions on the Internet,
   despite government efforts to scale down the discussions when they
   strongly challenge the Communist party's agenda.

   Weibo has also proved to be an effective tool in breaking news
   coverage.

   On July 2011, it was a post on Weibo that alerted Chinese mainstream
   media to a deadly train crash. Microblogs kept the conversation going
   afterwards, asking the government to explain its late and sloppy rescue
   management.

   The Chinese blogger and journalist who calls himself Michael Anti says
   that Weibo's simple design, which only requires a phone connected to
   the Internet to post messages, is key to its success.

   From the isolated Chinese countryside people can send messages that
   reach people with influence in Beijing. And, they can dialogue with
   them. He says if you have encountered cases of corruption and you want
   to petition them, then it is likely that some mainstream media will
   pick them up through Weibo.

   Anti became an outspoken opponent of real-name registration in early
   2011, when Facebook deleted his account because he did not register
   using his real name.

   He complained against Facebook's decision then and continues to oppose
   online real-name policies in every country. He says, 'If we link online
   accounts to real identification, then it decreases the level of freedom
   one enjoys when using the Internet."

   Last December, Chinese authorities announced initial testing of the
   real-name policy. Municipal governments of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen
   and Guangzhou ordered microblog operators to register users under their
   real names.

   But there has been high-profile opposition to the plan.

   Tencent Holdings Ltd, China's biggest Internet company, announced
   earlier this month that it would not implement the real-name system for
   its popular instant message program, QQ. The company is based in
   Shenzhen, one of the four pilot cities.

   Jeremy Goldkorn, the founder of the China media monitoring website
   Danwei.org says although authorities said the new system would start in
   December, not much has changed. 'I don't think it has actually been
   implemented anywhere, at least not thoroughly. Because it's still
   possible to do a lot in the Internet without using your real name,
   including Weibo services.'

   If authorities do follow through on the plan, Goldkorn agrees with
   other critics who say that the loss of anonymity will have a big impact
   on microblogs.

   'It will certainly have a chilling effect on discussion on Weibo,
   because a lot of people will be wary of speaking their mind if there is
   going to be a real name attached to their account. But I don't think
   it's going to kill off Weibo,' Goldhorn said.

   The government's announcement this week comes as it is struggling with
   finding the best way to manage public discourse.

   In his speech, Wang Chen also insisted on the need for better-trained
   government's spokespersons who could positively carry out Beijing's
   message to domestic and foreign audiences. 'The most important thing,'
   he says, is for the spokespersons to provide 'accurate information
   based on the facts.'