Steven Millward reports that a popular Chinese dating site, BaiHe now requires real-name registration. While that can put a dent in your dating strategy, a more serious concern is raised by the requirement of real-name registration for blogs.
AFP reports:
Beijing city authorities on Friday issued new rules requiring microbloggers to register their real names before posting online, as the Chinese government tightens its grip on the internet.
The city government now requires users of weibos – the Chinese version of Twitter – to give their real names to website administrators, its official news portal said.
The new rules will apply to weibo operators based in Beijing, which include Sina – owner of China’s most popular microblogging service which has more than 200 million users – as well as users living in the Chinese capital.
Read more on ABC (AU).
But before you start ranting about how oppressive and awful this is (and it is), remember that as the U.S. becomes its own surveillance state and Cops of the World, we can no longer point a finger and thump our chests over freedom of expression. Our Congress is eroding those rights as we speak.