The massive Chinese social media network Sina Weibo informed its platform’s most popular users last week that they must display their real identities, including names, gender, IP locations, as well as professional and educational background, on their account page starting at the end of October.
The policy will first apply to Weibo users with more than 1 million followers and later extend to those with half a million followers. It is believed that other social media platforms in China will also follow the move.
China implemented the online real-name registration system in 2012. Under the policy, personal data are stored on the platforms and are invisible to other users. Last year, Chinese social media platforms started displaying the IP locations of social media users to crack down on online rumors, including witness accounts of social incidents such as protests.
The latest change was confirmed by Weibo’s CEO Wang Gaofei, who briefly activated the personal information display on his profile page on October 20, 2023. Wang’s social credit status, employment, and professional and educational background were all listed on this profile page.
The new policy triggered a heated debate on Chinese social media. Unexpectedly, online patriots, who are usually fairly united, split into two camps over the new requirements.
Supporters argued that the policy could reduce online rumours and that influencers should bear more social responsibility and reveal their genuine identity to their readers. Among them is state-owned Global Times’ top commentator Hu Xijin, who commented on the new measure on Weibo on October 16:
What could go wrong giving your personal details to everybody…
That’s a good way to put that person in a ton of harm for no reason
That’s exactly what the Chinese government (any authoritarian government for the record) loves doing.
How exactly would that information put a person in harms way?
Do you want to go ahead and post this information about yourself like this? It’s extremely uncomfortable. You can find people’s physical location with IP addresses. You can stalk then. You can dox them. Once that info is out, it’s impossible to take back.
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I already have all that info on my Facebook profile.
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I’m not an influencer anyways.
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You don’t seem to know how geo-IP lookups work, so I’m unsure where your confidence is coming from.
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Because personal information is intrinsically linked to your person. Have you never heard of swatting or similar hoaxes that “fans” concoct to fuck with streamers and influencers?
IP location only gives people the city you’re in, and Swatting is pretty much a unique feature to America.
Swatting is pretty much a unique feature to America.
Why do people just make xenophobic shit up like this
Well, it’s not xenophobic, it’s just stupid false information.
I know its not the same thing but in Germany you have something called “Impressumspflicht” for everything you publish online if you intend to monetize it in any way. For example you have to specify your full name and address, an email address and your phone number if you run a YouTube channel or twitch.
It sounds like pretty close to the same thing except for the “if you intend to monetize it” part which is a very big difference. But I don’t think Twitch or Youtube or the other platforms where significant money can be made have any support for anonymous payment methods, so that situation is not so different in Germany compared to the rest of the world (outside of China and places like that.)
Yeah I meant it more like Germany doesn’t do it for the same reasons as China.
Is that publicly facing information or just information given to the websites?
Public facing. Has to be “viewable in two or less clicks”, so for example in your about page. Thats what is so spicy about this. I’ve got a YouTube channel but “luckily” not enough viewers to monetize, I’d hate to put my info out there for everyone to mess with.
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Hmm I don’t think so? Not sure but it is this article
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Yep, stupid me copied the wrong link, updated now with the proper one.
China is far from being free of sexual crimes and murder. This will be dangerous for the minority women population there.
China is far from being free
The Chinese government really wants women to get stalked and murdered
That’s a gross accusation. Most people have more info on their Facebook profile
That’s a gross accusation.
That’s a gross
accusationreality.The Chinese government has no issue with innocent people being tortured and murdered. In fact, they do it themselves with religious minorities.
Facebook will delete your page if you dont use your real name and if you want it back you have to send them a pic of your ID. I don’t see a difference here
Does Facebook force you to display your IP address, location, and education/employment history on your profile?
Please learn the the difference between an IP address and a geo IP location.
I wish
I expect to see all the tankies start putting their personal info on their Lemmy profiles in solidarity with the wishes of their favorite (or second favorite) fascist government.
What
like torontobigface said, they will see a lot of surprises.
If we’re not careful, we’re gonna have the same kind of surveillance in so-called ‘free’ western countries.
China isn’t known for its freedom policies
They want to see who’s online opinion to round up in vans when they attempt to attack Taiwan
