Beijing has sparked new concerns for tighter censorship with a policy to introduce digital identifications for netizens.
The Chinese communist regime said the “voluntary” scheme is designed to streamline service processes, protect personal information, and reduce fraud. At the same time, criticisms that described the policy as a tool for censorship are being purged from social media.
The policy, which was introduced last month by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the state department responsible for online censorship, is still subject to consultation. However, it has already been piloted across a number of public services and social media platforms. The MPS app for digital ID is currently available on several app stores, including Apple’s app store.
New Digital ID
On July 26, MPS and the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) launched a consultation on plans to introduce digital ID numbers and certificates for netizens.The MPS said the measure would better protect netizens’ personal information because online platforms would no longer need to collect it separately. However, critics say it makes it easier for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to identify dissidents who cross the Party line in cyberspace.
U.S.-based telecommunications expert Zhong Shan, previously known as Wang Zu, said the measure, combined with China’s social credit system, could help boost local authorities’ revenue from fines and be used as another way to control dissidents.
Asked why a digital certificate is needed while netizens have been required to register their real name and ID number for over a decade, Zhong said the new certificate will include a combination of data that have not been consolidated before, including messaging, the IP and router gateway addresses, and biometric data such as fingerprints and facial features.
Censored Critics
Despite the open consultation, internet police have been purging criticisms of the policy from Chinese social media platforms, most notably a post by Tsinghua University law professor Lao Dongyan.In remarks posted on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of X, Lao compared the digital ID to a personalized tracker for every internet user, saying it can easily collect a user’s complete web history.
“Once certain departments forbid an individual from using their verification services, the individual’s right to access the internet will be limited or deprived, including the freedom to express views and obtain information,” she added.
Lao also said the policy expands measures taken against criminal suspects and that internet users would hardly be able to give informed consent because of the lack of alternatives and information on risks.
The law professor called for a review to assess whether the policy is constitutional.
In a subsequent post, which has also disappeared, Lao complained about internet trolls who targeted her over the article and whom she said were organized by the authorities.
Huang Yusheng, another Tsinghua University professor who criticized the policy, has been banned on Weibo after posting his opinion.
Huang, reacting to the policy in a scathing article, said civil liberty is vital for a modernized China.
“Any state that attempts to surveil its citizens from every angle and leave them with no room for privacy is showing, most crudely and most blatantly, that it’s not a state for its citizens,” he wrote.
The professor of philosophy argued that in “a real state for the people,” the authorities would not need to analyze and control citizens’ every thought and speech; citizens would identify with, trust, and defend the state. He added that the secret recipe for a nation’s confidence should lie in its citizens’ freedoms.
Pilots Before Consultation Result
While the consultation deadline is Aug. 25, the MPS app for generating digital certificates has already been available in app stores, including Tencent and Apple.
The Epoch Times reached out to Apple for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
The certificate has also been piloted by dozens of public services and social media platforms, such as Railway 12306, digital shopping platform Taobao, and WeChat.
