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Chinese government to outlaw Internet anonymity photo

China loves repression like the English love football riots, and today's Communist smackdown comes courtesy of a new law requiring all online gamers to register with their real names online. No more hiding behind a screen name in China. From now on, everybody knows who everybody is, or at least the government knows who everybody is, and that's the main thing.

Zhang Yijun, director of the General Administration of Press and Publication's Technology and Digital Publication Department is cited as the source of this new rule. He also has a ridiculously extravagant job title. 

According to a report in People's Daily Online, this follows the suspense of operations of four online gaming companies who "did not have the mandatory anti-addiction system," whatever that means. Either way, Chinese gamers now have a little bit more bollocks to contend with, so hooray for that.


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25 comments | showing # 1 to 25

Darth Kupi's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 09:27
Darth Kupi
"China will be generous...."
munkee's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 09:31
munkee
haha, brilliant.. not only will the government now know who is saying what. but, when a flame war kicks off citizens will be able to find where each other lives
mistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 09:37
mistic
LOLOLOLOLOL :p

I'd love that on XBlive though, people would be a LOT more careful about what they say if their real name would be in their gamertag ( and preferably adress-details in the gamerprofile ) 'cause you could actually go kick their asses in real life :-)

( or at least notify the parents of an 8-year-old that he's playing a Mature-onlygame :-))
Qraze's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 09:41
Qraze
i'm waiting for the chinese revolution to start now. just a matter of time.....
Brando's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 09:46
Brando
You know a couple of years ago I just would have laughed this off but nowadays, I am honestly starting to think it would make the Internet a better place.
SuperD1984's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 09:54
SuperD1984
Hi, my names Dave and i'll still talk smack.

whatever that is
Junta Baill's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 10:11
Junta Baill
@ Brando ... I totally agree. This kind of thing makes sense really. I mean, what else can you do anonymously?

Well, ok, you can make charitable donations, send white powder in the mail, make bomb threats ...

See, no one wants anybody to be able to do those things on the internet ... am I right?

Go China!!
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 10:17
EternalDeathSlayer
Uhh....no Junta and Brando. This is just another bullet point on the long list on individual liberties citizens of China have had taken from them.
liquidcabbage's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 10:20
liquidcabbage
Actually it's not that bad. ID is required to register but it won't show in game. Also it's not about ALL online gamers but only pc online gamers, and you have no idea how crazy those people are in China these days. I just heard a news that a 20 year old beat his own grandma because she refused to give him her pension to buy online cards.
Drack48's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 10:25
Drack48
@EternalDeathSlayer: Right you are sir..scary stuff..anyone from China around here that can comment on this? I'd love to here the take on it form someone from China or living there currently..
GooN's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 10:42
GooN
I call BULLSHIT!!!

It's not football, It's SOCCER riots you brits enjoy...

The NFL, Now THAT'S FOOTBALL!!! :P
whiteskwirl's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 10:52
whiteskwirl
@liquidcabbage: Wasn't there an American kid who killed his parents over Halo 3? So there's nuts everywhere.
aresef's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 11:07
aresef
Am I the only one running Jay and Silent Bob references through my head right now?
bbrigg1's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 11:20
bbrigg1
@aresef

Not anymore.

"They would be like, "Ooooh I wanna suck yous guys dicks off."
Then they'd say, "What's your names?"
I'd be like, "Motherfuckin' Jay and Silent Bob. Recognize."
Then she'd say, "I read on the internet that you two were a couple of little fuck holes." And then they'd go suck two other guys dicks off. Well, fuck that."
Noah's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 11:30
Noah
I left China in November after working there for 16 months. I don't see whatt's different, they can easily track IP addresses anyway. I made a post a year ago when they decided to block Dtoid for a time, after I had been able to access it for a month.

I think their having a World of Warcraft restaurant in Beijing clears China of any wrong doing.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 11:34
Necros
"Anti-addiction system" is something along the lines of making an online game remind you to take a break after so long, and then if you keep playing, turning itself off until you've taken the break required by law. It was put in because one or two really stupid people in China don't know how to take breaks and died from playing too much, so the government decided everyone has to suffer. But even if this is just a basic thing like one commenter says, like putting your ID into the game and then choosing an online handle like usual, it's still an infringement on personal freedoms like so many of China's anti-gaming laws.
TrailerParkJesus's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 11:41
TrailerParkJesus
I thought this was about a new Guilty Gear :(

Also, I don't know how less anonymous they'll be with all dem Nguyens running around OMG racist!
Lightthrower's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 12:12
Lightthrower
The true reason they are implementing this is that if someone speaks in ill of the governement, they know who it is and can arrest them the old fascist way. It wouldn't surprise me if the USA is the next to fall to these fascist ways.
Matlox's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 12:45
Matlox
@Drack

You're crazy if you actually think people in China can access this website. Even if they could, do you honestly think they're going to write on here badmouthing the Chinese government?
Qraze's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 13:49
Qraze
anyone saying its not bad does not have the experience of having their individual freedoms taken away. its not bad that america can put you in jail just for them thinking you are a terrorist with no evidence is it? well, china will put you in jail just for a protest. you think we have it bad then you have no idea what's it like for them.
Shoop's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 14:14
Shoop
@Lightthrower

Yeah, no kidding. For our own best interests, of course ;)
BlackSheep's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 14:50
BlackSheep
fuck it, like their names are different anyway. Everyone will just now have the same user name.
Swizzler121's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 14:57
Swizzler121
@munkee: I was just gonna say something like that, if you piss a crazy person off online, since they know who you, are, lock your door at night!
AliasWyvernspur's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/16/2009 18:37
AliasWyvernspur
Finally! We'll know who he really is!
The Amazing Shenazin's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2009 21:13
The Amazing Shenazin
LOL
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