China Requiring You To Submit Photo ID To The Gov't If You Want To Create A Website

from the that'll-work dept

Wed, Feb 24th 2010 6:50pm — Mike Masnick

This isn't really a surprise given China's massive internet censorship ("Great Firewall") efforts, but apparently the Chinese government is now requiring anyone who wants to set up a website in the country to submit their identity cards and photos of themselves before they can build a site. Oh yeah, plus they have to meet with gov't regulators to get approval to register and set up a website. In other words, the crackdown is spreading... though plenty of folks in China appear to be getting around these new rules by setting up websites outside of China. In the meantime, what a way to kill the sort of entrepreneurial web spirit you need: imagine how many internet sites would never get created if they first required approval by a government bureaucrat?

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Filed Under: censorship, china, registration, regulations

24 Comments

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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 24 Feb 2010 @ 6:53pm

Good Lord!
It's like Italy, there!
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Yargh, 24 Feb 2010 @ 7:11pm

China, I am dissapoint.
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NAMELESS.ONE, 24 Feb 2010 @ 7:56pm

Don't worry COMING SOON TO YOU
ya know how them corporations all lied about changing china to be more democratic...looks to me like other way around

makes ya wonder don't it.
takes picture a my ass and hands it over
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Feb 2010 @ 7:58pm

The BBC story is startlingly short on details. I wonder how the Chinese government will define "start a website", since that's such an extremely nebulous term. Third party blog tools? Facebook? Twitter? Shared google docs? Message boards? Which of these and under what circumstances constitutes starting a web site? What if I serve content from a port other than 80? What if it's plain text and not html? Is that still a "web" site?

I expect it's just a tool that they'll use as a pretext to throw "dissidents" in jail for posting comments on youtube, rather than clarifying and then adhering to the actual text of the law.
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The Sarcastic-Mike, 24 Feb 2010 @ 8:08pm

We have to tame this here wild western-like internet and what better place to start than China!
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kellythedog (profile), 24 Feb 2010 @ 8:09pm

Apply for website
Maybe its a good thing, then that country will only have one " hello Kitty" type fan site.
Where is that SarcMark when I need it.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Feb 2010 @ 9:17pm

Now for the US
You know, every time the Chinese government does something like this, it seems that the US gov't gets jealous and tries to find a way to do something similar.
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:), 25 Feb 2010 @ 12:13am

At least they are open about it.
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/_improper_use_of_copyright.php

Microsoft on the other hand, cooperates fully with the law enforcement agents and even have a "spy manual" :)
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Feb 2010 @ 4:18am

Yeah... totally shocking. This IS China and all.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Feb 2010 @ 5:57am

Australia is probably taking notes.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Feb 2010 @ 6:19am

I think that this is a good idea... this will stop some of the bs spam and malware sites and make people responsible for the content they have online
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Feb 2010 @ 9:08am

so?
and just imagine how few people would drive cars if they had to apply to the government and show a valid ID.
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Alan Gerow (profile), 25 Feb 2010 @ 10:12am

Re:
If you really believe that, then I have $20,000,000 in inheritance funds that I need help transferring. Please contact me regarding this 100% risk-free deal that can make you a millionaire¡
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Alan Gerow (profile), 25 Feb 2010 @ 10:13am

Re: so?
and just imagine if web sites had anything in common with cars.
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Jblow, 25 Feb 2010 @ 2:02pm

Re:
I beleive by "start a website" they mean, register a domain name.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Feb 2010 @ 2:40pm

interesting...
I actually like the idea of showing your ID to register domain name. I know folks hates it when a "goverment" controls the Internet, but this allows more accountablity on domain name.

I'm interested in hearing more pros and cons.
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Overcast (profile), 1 Mar 2010 @ 12:02pm

So... they could use the web and create one in India...
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sahrooz, 18 Mar 2010 @ 5:48am

333
darya
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Car Transport, 14 Jun 2010 @ 8:43am

Imagine That!
Thats kind of insane really, imagine if I had to register all my domains using a photo i.d.? That would be impossible as sometimes you purchase a domain name and don't want your real name associated with it, like a social media page or the like. This site Enclosed Car Transport was purchased from the original owner, and would be detrimental to the business to have the downtime it would create if you had to show I.D. to register a domain
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Bushra, 6 Oct 2010 @ 12:03pm

love
I beleive by "start a website" they mean, register a domain name.
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nosheen, 9 Dec 2010 @ 1:50am

forex
new site u see that?
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suriya, 9 Dec 2010 @ 1:51am

forex
new n latest site
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suriyaa, 10 Dec 2010 @ 3:46pm

forex
new latest info....
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minnie, 13 Feb 2011 @ 7:02pm

google
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