Project an 'important government move' to manage cyberspace: expert
The Chinese government has started distributing electronic identity cards (eID) to the public as a pilot project, a step to better protect citizens' personal information from online leaks, the Shanghai-based Xinmin Evening News reported.
The eID was developed by the No.3 Research Institute of the Ministry of Public Security, and has passed the State Cryptography Administration's security check.
Yan Zeming, a spokesperson of the institute, said that China lacks the infrastructure and services of independent cyber identity verification. Most websites require users to use their personal information such as their name and ID number to confirm your identity, which has resulted in leaks.
According to the institute's website, the eID will be citizens' second identity for use in cyberspace. It features a cryptographic algorithm technically impossible to hack and would only generate random strings once cracked.
The eID, which is a smart chip, could be loaded to bank cards, SIM cards and identity cards. It provides a person's true identity and could be applied to public service platforms, online trading platforms, third-party payments and social networks which involve financial security, property safety and privacy of Internet applications.
Xinmin Evening News reported that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has distributed more than 16 million IC bank cards loaded with the chip. Other banks such as the Bank of Shanghai and China Minsheng Bank are also preparing to distribute the cards.
"This is seen as an important government move to improve cyberspace management," said Qin An, director of the China Institute of Cyberspace Strategy.
He said aside from preventing leaks of personal information, the eID could enhance cyberspace integrity as users who post undesirable information can be traced, given that cyber crime and terrorism have risen in cyberspace.
Tang Lan, a cyber studies expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times that the eID would help strengthen information security when citizens encounter websites out to steal personal information.
However, Qin warned that managing eIDs remains a challenge.
"If counterfeit eIDs surface, the cards may become criminal tools. Also, if all the websites require eID information, it would create inconvenience," he said, adding that the government may also need to consider requiring citizens to use the card in order to prevent the cards from becoming commercialized.
In 2012, the institute launched an eID pilot project involving the distribution of 30,000 eID cards to students of the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.
