The Chinese Communist Party officially announced that starting from July 15, 2025, the country will formally implement the “National Network Identity Authentication Management System” (commonly known as the “Online New ID Card”). This system will authenticate real-name registration through “Net Number” and “Net ID Card,” binding users’ real identities with their online behaviors. Many citizens and scholars are concerned that this move will further intensify internet surveillance, threatening freedom of speech and personal privacy.
Recently, the Cyberspace Administration of China, together with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and six other departments, jointly issued the “National Network Identity Authentication Public Service Management Measures,” instructing local cyberspace administrations to cooperate in promoting the system online. According to the official definition, “Net Number” is the unique identity code for internet users registering for platform services, while “Net ID Card” is the identity certificate generated after real-name authentication. The application process requires downloading a designated app, using a phone with NFC support, and undergoing real-name authentication through identity card, facial recognition, and phone number verification. The registration scope includes residents of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and foreigners, including holders of permits for Hong Kong and Macao residents, Taiwan compatriot permits, permanent resident identity cards for foreigners, and ordinary passports.
Despite the official claim of its “voluntary nature” and no restriction on unregistered users’ internet service usage, many people fear that it may be gradually enforced in the future. The policy also stipulates that Net Number and Net ID Card will be widely used in scenarios such as mobile card activation, broadband access, social account registration, online shopping, and payment, potentially becoming a “pass” for online activities in the future.
Internet big data observer Cao Lei told Epoch Times that he views this as a phased surveillance system: “They first encourage you to register your Net Number with ID cards, phone numbers, and facial recognition, then platforms will be required to ask customers for Net Number and Net ID Cards, just like not being allowed to enter a mall without a nucleic acid test during the pandemic. Ultimately, they may even control your internet wallet and transaction content by calculating your ‘social harm’ level through big data.”
The Chinese Communist Party’s move has sparked controversy, with many netizens expressing unease. A resident from Dongguan, Chen Xiaoping, told reporters that several of his WeChat accounts were permanently suspended, and now authorities are targeting users who do not speak out. He said, “With the full implementation of real-name registration, the space for internet freedom is getting smaller, and I have to be careful when expressing my opinions, fearing monitoring.”
Another user said, “It feels like having an invisible ID card. Now, in addition to household identity cards, you have an extra digital ID card, and all your actions online and offline are being tracked. Where is the privacy?”
In addition to the public, some academics have also raised alarms. Zhang Hong, a sociologist from Tsinghua University, told reporters that while internet real-name registration can reduce fraud and malicious accounts, “from mobile phone real-name registration to the current online new ID card, crime has not decreased much, and bank deposits are still stolen. I don’t see how these so-called security measures actually protect anyone’s safety or benefit. What we need are stricter data protection laws, not increasingly stringent surveillance systems.”
Qu Bo, a sociology researcher at Fudan University in Shanghai, believes, “In the absence of transparent oversight mechanisms, such identity verification systems are easily abused and can become tools to control speech. Who controls the data? The ones who leak or misuse data are often the organizations that control the data themselves.”
Information security researcher Gao Qiang from Hebei warned that from a technical perspective, internet identity binding is equivalent to tracking full internet usage history. He told reporters, “Once the system is hacked, all users’ privacy could be exposed, leading to serious consequences.”
Some netizens have compared China’s new system with internet real-name registration systems in countries like Japan and South Korea, pointing out that the latter have more comprehensive privacy laws and transparent oversight mechanisms. In China under the CCP’s rule, the lack of independent judiciary and information disclosure has led to a stronger sense of distrust among the public towards the new system. A netizen commented, “Real-name registration can be done, but it must be supervised and someone held accountable. Right now, the system is rolling out too fast while protection measures are progressing too slowly.”