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Archive

2013

Freedom of Expression v. China’s Control of the Internet

Posted By Pedro A. Avila, Feb 5, 2013

On December 28, 2012, China’s top legislature (the National People’s Congress) adopted three main new rules to limit individuals’ online privacy in China. The first rule is that internet users must identify themselves with their real names when signing up for internet service. The second rule is that when the government or an internet service provider (ISP) finds that a user has conducted illegal activity, the ISP is required to submit the user’s personal information and ID to the government. The third rule is that the government may delete posts or pages that are deemed to contain illegal information.

The underlying policy consideration for these rules is to eliminate illegal activity on the internet and to encourage Chinese citizens to report illegal activities. These rules also substantially limit privacy for internet users in China. China already has one of the strictest internet policies in the world and the recent adoption of these rules is just another step in making China one of the least private places to be online.

The Chinese constitution affords freedom of expression and its citizens are now effectively barred from this important medium of expression. The internet for many years has served as a vital medium for political and social discourse in China. Many Chinese citizens express themselves through the internet under pseudonyms to protect their identity and to avoid punishment. Now, citizens have less protection of their identity, and their posts are subject to removal and subsequent punishment.

Source (The Verge): http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/24/3801842/china-considers-making-real-name-registration-mandatory-internet-users

Source (The Next Web): http://thenextweb.com/asia/2012/12/28/china-approves-regulations-that-introduce-real-name-registration-for-all-internet-users/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheNextWeb+%28The+Next+Web+All+Stories%29

Source (Reuters): http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/net-us-china-internet-idUSBRE8BO01320121228?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=56505

Source (Xinhua): http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-12/24/c_132059941.htm