ID rule to shake up Weibo

Potential microbloggers, as well as those who already have Weibo accounts, are required to register their real identities by March 16, or face being banned from posting and forwarding messages, authorities in Beijing said Tuesday.

Making the announcement at the Beijing Weibo Development Management Regulations Seminar Tuesday, officials in charge of Internet information management said that Weibo accounts hosted by Sina, Sohu, NetEase and Tencent will be subject to the new rule.

Since December 16, Beijing has required new users to provide their identities while registering Weibo accounts.

Tong Liqiang, an official with the Beijing Internet Information Office, confirmed with the Global Times that microbloggers who fail to comply with the new rule will be banned.

Tong said starting from Tuesday, Sina has started checking the identities of its existing users, and all Beijing-based microblog service providers have added the identity verification to the registration process.

"The real-name system is welcomed by service providers and has won support from the majority of Web users. For the government, the move will promote social, economic and cultural development."

"For service providers, the real-name system will help build their credibility, and eliminate the spread of rumors and false information," Tong said.

Xia Momo, a manager in charge of press releases for Sohu's Weibo service, told the Global Times that the company has carried out a series of promotions to encourage existing users to register with their real names and identities.

"Private messages have been sent to users asking them to register under their real names, and they will receive free access to Sohu's video service as a reward. I don't think the new rule will cause user losses," Xia said.

According to a report published by the China Internet Network Information Center in January, China had 250 million Weibo users by the end of last year, half of the total number of netizens in the country.

Zhang Rui, a Weibo user in Beijing, told the Global Times that she is willing to register with her real name as long as the service provider can ensure the safety of personal information.

However, Ying Xiaomao, a Sina Weibo user in Hong Kong, told the Global Times that she would not comply with the new rule.

"The real fun of microblogging is that it gives more freedom to express your opinions and that you can find a lot of inside stories. But under the new regulation, I doubt people could be as outspoken as before, and inside scoops will diminish," Ying said.

Zhang Ming, a professor at the School of International Studies of Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that he has quit Sina Weibo because as a real-name user there, his posts had been frequently deleted without notice.

"Personally, I welcome the real-name regulation, which could help reduce the number of insulting comments usually posted by anonymous users," Zhang said.

However, he warned that the new rule could have a negative impact on freedom of speech.

A number of other high-profile microbloggers, like Yu Jianrong, a professor from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, have also recently quit Sina.

Cao Junbo, chief analyst at Beijing-based Internet research center iResearch, told the Global Times that the real-name system would not drive down the number of microblog users, but will affect the number of active users.

"As the regulation now is only applied in Beijing, its impact will be minimal in the short term, but as it spreads to other parts of the country, it will deal a blow to the service, given that many grassroots users will find it less entertaining," Cao said, noting that the information flow of some hot issues will likely be weakened.

You Tianyu, another analyst at iResearch, echoed Cao's words.

"Many Weibo users will leave the service due to psychological pressure, and this will finally diminish the operating profit of the providers," You predicted.