The Chinese Communist authorities’ plan to implement an internet ID and license system has sparked strong backlash, with concerns over potential control and surveillance. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security responded by stating that users do not need a “license” to access the internet and can do so without an internet ID or license. However, media outlets and social media platforms have been censoring discussions on the topic, preventing public discourse. Overseas internet users view the official response as deceitful and liken it to a tactic of gradual control.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, a researcher at the First Research Institute of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security denied that users need a license to access the internet. He claimed that the use of internet licenses is only necessary in scenarios requiring identity verification and that traditional identification methods can still be used to access the internet without an internet ID or license.
He emphasized that users voluntarily accept or opt-out of internet identity verification services and that internet companies and access providers also participate voluntarily. However, mainland Chinese media have restricted commentaries on related reports, with social media platforms displaying messages like “comments temporarily hidden” or “blogger has enabled comment selection.”
The statement by the Ministry of Public Security officials has triggered discussions among overseas users:
“They are playing tricks again, using the tactic of boiling the frog slowly. The CCP is professional at this.”
“In reality, they could have carried out these measures secretly. The fact that they were made public and caused such discussions is because it comes with a double-edged sword. It means that many leaders and individuals within the system are now exposed to what they browse and say online, or even their communication with foreign individuals. Previously, there were records stored in Guizhou, but with internet licenses, it becomes even more precise. It affects their own interests, which is why they are now speaking out. Otherwise, it would have gone unnoticed.”
“If this is implemented, in two years it will become ‘platforms like Xiaohongshu voluntarily remove other login methods, and the government claims to respect it.'”
“After the lockdown, they claimed there was no coercion, and everyone voluntarily isolated at home.”
“This is a gradual process. First voluntary testing, then testing once a week, then twice a week, then daily, and twice a day.”
“It’s like the tightening spell, the pressure gradually increases.”
“It’s time for all platforms to show loyalty.”
“When testing everyone’s basic intelligence, during this period, try to avoid unnecessary actions and seize opportunities.”
“Ultimately, we will end up living in a world like ‘1984’.”
“Their words are ever-changing, their policies are always shifting. The Ministry of Public Security may say one thing, but those who enforce it on the ground may do otherwise.”
“For decades since seizing power, how many atrocities has the CCP committed under the guise of ‘for your own good’?”
“After so many years of boiling the frog slowly, who doesn’t know the CCP’s tactics?”
The “National Network Identity Verification Public Service Management Measures (Draft for Solicitation of Comments)” jointly drafted by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and the Cyberspace Administration of China were published on July 26, requiring internet users to register their real identities voluntarily and obtain a unified “internet ID” and “internet license,” without the need to provide personal information to internet platforms. Users can use this virtual “internet ID” to authenticate themselves on platforms requiring real-name verification. The public can provide feedback on these guidelines until August 25.
Mainland Chinese citizens have criticized the authorities’ new measures, but face suppression. Previously, Professor Huang Yusheng of Tsinghua University in Beijing wrote an article criticizing the move as stringent control on the country’s citizens, contrary to the country’s modernization efforts. His post was deleted, and he was permanently banned from Weibo. Another Tsinghua University Law professor, Lao Dongyan, suggested on Weibo that the real purpose of the authorities is to control people’s behavior online, expanding investigative measures initially targeting criminal suspects to apply to all ordinary individuals. Her post was likewise removed.
Some legal experts argue that the new internet license and ID regulations are arbitrary and violate international human rights conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the Chinese Constitution. They claim that the regulations unlawfully intrude on citizens’ personal privacy, communication, and freedom of speech.
A Silicon Valley-based Chinese communication network engineer, Zhong Shan, mentioned in an interview with Epoch Times that the technical roadmap of internet licenses is closely linked with epidemic control codes, establishing strict control measures.
Though the official guidelines for internet licenses are still under review, internet identity verification apps have already appeared in multiple app stores, with the initial version uploaded in June 2023. Critics argue that the so-called “solicitation of comments” regarding the internet license and ID regulations seems to be merely a formality.