IP Democracy: China Backs Down on Real Names for Bloggers

The Chinese government appears ready to back down on mandating that all bloggers use their real names when registering their blogs. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that in lieu of “cracking down” on bloggers, the Chinese government would instead require that bloggers register only under their real names, an onerous condition in the heavily censored Chinese Internet market which would have radically reduced blogging in the country.

Now, however, through the Internet Society of China, the government is circulating a draft code of blogger conduct that only encourages real name registration rather than making it mandatory. The government has expressed concern over the “unhealthy” (read: salacious or anti-government) information disseminated in China’s 20+ million blogs.

The code, btw, is designed to help bloggers “watch their words and actions” according to the People’s Daily Online, which I take to be a Chinese government sanctioned publication (correct me if I’m wrong.)

It aims to prescribe the obligations of both blog service providers and bloggers through self-discipline, requiring providers to improve their services and standardize their businesses as well as reminding blog users of their social responsibilities.

It’s interesting, is it not, that the Chinese Internet business (which the Internet Society of China is purportedly supposed to represent) is trying to mount a code of blogging conduct at the same time, but for different reasons, that some U.S. bloggers are calling for a code of conduct?

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on May 22, 2007 3:06 PM to IP Democracy