So basically, instead of using the sort of usernames that we see used all the time here on forums, blogs, etc., the Chinese government wants all Internet users within its borders to be personally identifiable.China is trying to crack down on anonymous social media users in a bid to stop the spread of terrorism, pornography and "rumours" on the internet.
The government has in recent years tried to introduce real-name registration, requiring users to enter their names and national identification numbers when signing up to internet services.
But its Cyberspace Administration says it will now "comprehensively" implement the rule and "beef up" oversight to punish violators.
It wants to increase regulation to cover more services, including instant messaging, Twitter-like microblogs, online forums and other websites.
The South China Morning Post describes it as a way to "cleanse content", while the government's flagship English-language newspaper China Daily says it aims to "prevent the spreading of rumours and information relating to terrorism, pornography and violence on the internet".
http://www.theweek.co.uk/world-news/620 ... cial-media
Of course, none of this has anything to do with making it easy to track down dissenting political commenters and toss them into prison, does it? *cynic mode*
