The Chinese Communist authorities are proposing the implementation of a “internet ID” and “internet license” system, sparking strong backlash. Professor Huang Yusheng from Tsinghua University in Beijing recently criticized this move, saying it is a strict way of monitoring their own citizens and goes against the country’s modernization efforts. His article was promptly deleted, and Huang’s account on Weibo was permanently banned. The Internet ID and license system is still in the period of soliciting opinions, but the authorities have already begun promoting its trial implementation.
In a post on Weibo on August 3, Professor Huang Yusheng emphasized that a country that constantly tries to turn its citizens into transparent individuals who can be tracked and located at any time cannot become a vibrant and creative nation. He pointed out that a truly modernized country is not one where citizens are tightly monitored, but one where all citizens enjoy full freedom, especially freedom of speech, and are free from arbitrary harassment, surveillance, intimidation, and detention by the authorities.
“Hukou Qizhibian” originated from the household registration system of the State of Qin during the Warring States period, where the ruler recorded all citizens and used households as a unit to control the people.
Huang Yusheng stated, “Any country that tries to comprehensively monitor its citizens and aims to make its citizens transparent in every aspect is blatantly stating that it is not a country for the people. Because a true country for the people does not need to monitor the movements of its citizens, the country believes in its citizens, and the citizens also identify with, believe in, and uphold their country.”
He believed a true country for the people would not be harmed by the thoughts and expressions of its citizens; on the contrary, the country’s vitality lies in protecting freedom of expression and respecting citizens’ thoughts, fostering creativity.
Huang Yusheng also mentioned that all truly modernized countries share a fundamental attribute – enabling citizens to be more free, liberated, wealthy, and civilized. Both communities and individual citizens can only develop self-reliance and rational and autonomous reasoning, contributing to civilization through a life of freedom of thought, speech, and action. Any policy that leads to strict monitoring of citizens’ freedom of speech and thought goes against the direction and goals of building a modernized country.
Regarding the so-called “Chinese-style modernization” proposed by the authorities, Huang Yusheng believed that the direction should be towards more freedom, openness, self-reliance, civilization, and wealth for everyone. He argued for the enhancement of the freedom of Chinese citizens, especially in terms of freedom of speech and thought, surpassing that of Western countries. “Without freedom, all confidence and faith cannot withstand comparison and challenge. This is where the secret of confidence and faith lies.”
Huang Yusheng’s article was promptly deleted, and his Weibo page showed, “Due to violation of relevant laws and regulations, this user is in a state of permanent banishment from speaking.”
His account displayed that his last post was made on August 4, where he wrote, “Everyone knows about freedom, but those who affirm it don’t necessarily understand it, while those who detest it either hold foolish misconceptions or lack the intellect to grasp it. In this era, understanding freedom is not just a measure of one’s thinking ability but also a measure of having a modern personality.”
Public information shows that Huang Yusheng, born in November 1965 in Pinghe County, Fujian Province, holds a PhD in Philosophy. He is currently a professor in the Department of Philosophy at the School of Humanities, Tsinghua University, and serves as a doctoral supervisor and Secretary-General of the Chinese Society for the History of Foreign Philosophy.
The “National Internet Identity Authentication Public Service Management Measures (Draft for Comments)” jointly drafted by the Ministry of Public Security and the Cyberspace Administration of China was announced on July 26. It proposes the voluntary registration of authentic identities to issue unified “internet IDs” and “internet licenses.” The deadline for public opinions on these measures is set until August 25.
However, there are concerns that the internet regulation in China may escalate from content censorship to identity checks. Over a billion Chinese internet users might need permits to access the internet in the future. This move has sparked opposition from scholars and a large number of netizens, but their voices have been suppressed.
Earlier, on July 30, Professor Lao Dongyan from Tsinghua University’s School of Law wrote on Weibo, “Since it is open for comments, I also want to publicly express my opinion.” Her article pointed out that the government’s plan to implement a unified internet ID and license system is aimed at controlling people’s behavior online, intending to normalize and legalize social control practices and expand criminal investigation measures originally meant for suspected criminals to apply to ordinary individuals. Her article was promptly removed.
On July 30, another post made by Lao Dongyan on Weibo was deleted. She stated, “The department’s draft regulations open for public comments do not allow for the public expression of different opinions. What kind of logic is this? If they only want to hear favorable opinions, then why open it for public comments in the first place?”
On July 31, sociologist Yu Jianrong posted on Weibo, expressing concerns that the internet identity authentication system may bring social risks. Shen Kui, Vice Dean of the Law School at Peking University, published an article on ifeng.com advising the authorities to implement the policy with minimal costs and to avoid using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, pointing out the “potential risks and immense harm” of such practices. These opinions were also suppressed.
It is worth noting that although the aforementioned measures are still in the stage of soliciting opinions, some media outlets have discovered that the National Internet Identity Authentication app has already appeared in several application stores. The initial version’s upload date was found to be June 2023, leading to beliefs that the solicitations for opinions on the “internet license and ID” new regulations were merely going through the motions.
Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping, currently residing in the United States, stated in an interview with The Epoch Times that in a truly rule of law country, the government cannot arbitrarily violate the rights of citizens when it comes to their online activities and privacy. Online activities involve numerous rights, including freedom of speech, thought, expression, and privacy.
Wu Shaoping believes that the management measures proposed by the Chinese Communist Party constitute administrative misconduct, violating the Administrative Licensing Law. Legally speaking, does a department under the State Council have the authority to use such management measures to restrict the internet freedom of all the country’s people? From a legislative perspective, it is also illegal.