- China is implementing a new, state-issued national internet ID system, effective July 15.
- The government claims it is for security, but experts warn it is a tool for state control.
- One expert described the system as an “infrastructure of digital totalitarianism.”
China is set to implement a new, state-issued national internet ID system on July 15, a move that will centralize user identity verification under direct government oversight. The system will issue a virtual ID that allows users to sign in across different social media applications and websites.
While the Chinese government states the initiative is designed to protect citizens’ personal information, international cybersecurity and human rights experts warn it creates an unprecedented tool for state control and censorship.
Official Purpose vs. Expert Warnings
According to an update released in May, China’s new internet protocol aims to “protect citizens’ identity information and support the healthy and orderly development of the digital economy.” Chinese state-run media has promoted the ID as a “bullet-proof vest for personal information.” Incidentally, it aligns with the regime’s efforts at tightening its grip on China’s digital space through censorship, a recognized agenda of the Xi Jinping regime following his ascension to power in 2012.
However, experts argue that a centralized, state-run platform poses significant risks. “This is a state-led, unified identity system capable of real-time monitoring and blocking of users,” said Xiao Qiang, a research scientist studying internet freedom at the University of California, Berkeley. He described the system not merely as a surveillance tool, but as an “infrastructure of digital totalitarianism.”
Analysts warn that the centralized ID makes it significantly easier for authorities to erase a person’s entire digital presence across multiple platforms at once.
Questions Over ‘Voluntary’ Adoption and Data Security
Chinese officials have stated that use of the new internet ID is “voluntary.” However, legal experts question this, noting that the government can offer conveniences and benefits that could make it difficult for users not to opt-in over time.
The upcoming government censorship gained momentum in February after the Cyberspace Administration of China approved the new censorship protocol, reviewed by the country’s “Measures for the Management of National Network Identity Authentication Public Services.”
Concerns have also been raised about the security of concentrating sensitive personal data on a single national platform. Critics point out that a centralized system creates a single point of vulnerability, making it an attractive target for hackers, citing a major 2022 leak of a Chinese police database containing information on one billion citizens.
Background and Implementation
Other national agencies in China have adopted the new censorship law, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Health Commission, and the National Radio and Television Administration. It will come into full effect by mid-July, and netizens wonder how China’s new internet regime will affect global cyberspace.
One such curious netizen described the developing scenario as a setback and a return to the pre-Internet era of 1984. Some internet users believe the new rule is a decoy to an underlying agenda that the Jinping regime has yet to reveal. They consider it an extension of the government’s agenda to enhance its stronghold on China and the surrounding region.
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