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:
A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.
Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.
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That’s a good way to put that person in a ton of harm for no reason
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.
I already have all that info on my Facebook profile.
I’m not an influencer anyways.
You don’t seem to know how geo-IP lookups work, so I’m unsure where your confidence is coming from.
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.
Why do people just make xenophobic shit up like this
Well, it’s not xenophobic, it’s just stupid false information.