Real-name system coming to Weibo, Tieba, and other Chinese websites (for real this time)

Real-name registration: it’s a concept that China’s government has been pushing on websites with user-generated content for years now. Real-name systems have been applied to everything from microblogs to payment systems to video uploads, but the bottom line has often been that these systems are easily skirted. And of course, many websites and forums on China’s web didn’t have real-name systems at all.

That’s all going to change this year, according to China’s State Internet Information Office (SIIO). At a press announcement on Tuesday, the SIIO announced that this year it will be pushing forward a “comprehensive” real name registration and oversight system. The new system will cover Chinese sites including microblogs, Baidu’s Tieba forums, and other sites with user-generated content. This certainly isn’t the first time China’s government has said it’s getting serious about real-name rules, but the SIIO says this year it will also be stepping up the strength its own oversight, management, and enforcement of the regulations.

Officials also announced that progress has been made with real-name systems on messaging apps. 80 percent of China’s WeChat users are real-name registered, officials said, as well as 90 percent of users of other instant messaging services.

Could this finally be the year that China’s government closes the loopholes and gaps, and makes everyone connect their real identity to their online accounts?

See: China to require real-name registration for all app developers

(Source: Techweb)