Most Chinese Microblogs Adopt Real Name Rules

More Chinese cities are requiring users of Twitter-like microblog services to register with their real names, state media said Thursday, in a move likely to deter many online voices.

China has more than 485 million Internet users, the most of any country in the world. Sites that are deemed politically destabilizing or pornographic are routinely blocked, but microblogs have been widely used to share information not available in the state media.

China blocked Twitter and Facebook after they were instrumental in anti-government protests in Iran two years ago, and instead encouraged homegrown alternatives in the apparent belief that domestic companies would be more responsive to government demands.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen have adopted rules requiring users of microblogs based there to use their real names.

Last week, Beijing introduced similar guidelines which affected the hugely popular Weibo microblog service run by Sina Corp. With the rules expanded to Shenzhen, Weibo rival Tencent must follow suit.

Xinhua said the rules would "purify the Internet environment, as fake and fraudulent information is often seen spreading through microblogs."

An editorial in the state-run China Daily newspaper on Thursday defended the rules against critics who have suggested they are a blow to free speech. It said they were necessary to prevent misuse of the Internet.

"Regardless of whether it is in China or the West, there are always some users who use the Web to spread rumors, or even engage in criminal activities," it said.

Government officials warned in October that tighter guidelines for social media sites were coming. Officials said then they were concerned about people using the Internet to spread lies and rumors. But the government is also clearly worried about the use of Weibo and other sites to mobilize potentially destabilizing protest movements.

Microblogs helped mobilize 12,000 people in the northeastern city of Dalian to successfully demand the relocation of a petrochemical factory and served as an outlet for public anger after a crash on the showcase high-speed rail system in which at least 40 people died. They also have given a national platform to a handful of independent candidates who have run this year for local legislative councils.