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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
Darth Kupi at 01/16/2009 09:27
"China will be generous...."
munkee's Avatar
munkee at 01/16/2009 09:31
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
mistic at 01/16/2009 09:37
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
Qraze at 01/16/2009 09:41
i'm waiting for the chinese revolution to start now. just a matter of time.....
Brando's Avatar
Brando at 01/16/2009 09:46
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
SuperD1984 at 01/16/2009 09:54
Hi, my names Dave and i'll still talk smack.

whatever that is
Junta Baill's Avatar
Junta Baill at 01/16/2009 10:11
@ 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
EternalDeathSlayer at 01/16/2009 10:17
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
liquidcabbage at 01/16/2009 10:20
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
Drack48 at 01/16/2009 10:25
@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
GooN at 01/16/2009 10:42
I call BULLSHIT!!!

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

The NFL, Now THAT'S FOOTBALL!!! :P
whiteskwirl's Avatar
whiteskwirl at 01/16/2009 10:52
@liquidcabbage: Wasn't there an American kid who killed his parents over Halo 3? So there's nuts everywhere.
aresef's Avatar
aresef at 01/16/2009 11:07
Am I the only one running Jay and Silent Bob references through my head right now?
bbrigg1's Avatar
bbrigg1 at 01/16/2009 11:20
@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
Noah at 01/16/2009 11:30
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
Necros at 01/16/2009 11:34
"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
TrailerParkJesus at 01/16/2009 11:41
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
Lightthrower at 01/16/2009 12:12
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
Matlox at 01/16/2009 12:45
@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
Qraze at 01/16/2009 13:49
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
Shoop at 01/16/2009 14:14
@Lightthrower

Yeah, no kidding. For our own best interests, of course ;)
BlackSheep's Avatar
BlackSheep at 01/16/2009 14:50
fuck it, like their names are different anyway. Everyone will just now have the same user name.
Swizzler121's Avatar
Swizzler121 at 01/16/2009 14:57
@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
AliasWyvernspur at 01/16/2009 18:37
Finally! We'll know who he really is!
The Amazing Shenazin's Avatar
The Amazing Shenazin at 02/20/2009 21:13
LOL
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