Beijing tightens cyber control.docx

Beijing tightens cyber control.docx

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Beijingtightenscybercontrol

Beijingtightenscybercontrol

Chinaislaunchingitsstrongestofficialmeasureyettoquellelectronicexpressionsofdiscontent,clampingdownonitsversionsofTwitterthathaveincreasinglyfueledonce-rareprotestsandthreatentoundermineitsleaders'firmholdonpower.

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ThesonofaWukanvillageleaderwhodiedinpolicecustody,center,atamemorialceremonyFriday.

InthenameofdefendingChinesecyberspaceagainst"harmfulinformation,"theBeijingcitygovernmentannouncednewruleslikelytochillaraucousnationalconversationonserviceslikeSinaWeibo,towhichChineseusersarefloodingtosharebrieftextmessages,photosandvideo.Officialswillrequireuserswhopostso-calledmicroblogstoregistertheirrealnameswiththemicrobloggingservices—tobeverifiedbygovernmentauthorities—sweepingawaytheanonymitythathashelpedcloakdissidentsonline.

Thenewrulesalsobanthepostingofstatesecretsandmaterialthatcouldhurtnationalsecurity,aswellaspoststhatspurethnicresentment,discriminationorrallies"thatdisruptsocialorder,"thestate-runXinhuanewsagencysaid.Therulesdidn'tmentionpenalties.

ThemoverepresentsapotentialturningpointastheInternethasbecomeanincreasinglydisruptiveforceforChina'sleadersaheadofonce-a-decadetransitionnextyear,whenChina'stoptwoleadershippositionswillchangehands.ItalsocomesasarebellionbyvillagersinWukaninthecountry'ssouth,overlocalpoliticians'attemptstoselltheirfarmland,hasbecomethebiggestofarecentstringofuprisingsexposingsocialandeconomictensionsplaguingthecountry.VillagersonFridaycontinuedtosealoffroadstopreventgovernmentsecurityforcesfromentering.

InJuly,ahigh-speedtraincrashtouchedoffanInternetdebateaboutthehumancostofChina'swarp-speedeconomic-developmentmodel.Microblogsitesalsobecameaplatformforpublicoutcryoverschool-bussafetyandgovernmentspendingafterarecentspateofdeadlyschool-buscrashes.Now,InternetcensorsarestrainingtopreventtheunrestintheSouthfrombecomingagalvanizingsubjectofnationalcontroversy.

CoverageoftheWukanunresthasbeenminimalinChinesestatemedia,andInternetcensorshaveblockedordeletedmostreferencestoit.TheinitialangerinWukanisn'tdirectedatthecentralgovernment,butwiththehelpofmicroblogsthetoneanddirectionofangercouldshift.

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ChineseauthoritiesappearedspookedbytheroleofsocialmediaintherevolutionsthatsweptauthoritariangovernmentsfrompowerintheArabworldthisyear.Buttheyareloathtoshutdownmicrobloggingoutright,notleastbecauseitallowsaggrievedcitizenstoletoffsteam,andintheabsenceofWestern-styledemocracyandafreemediaitgivesauthoritiesinsightintocitizens'concerns.

BeijingcityofficialssaidFridaythatmicrobloggingsitesthatarebasedinthecitymustverifytherealnamesofusersbeforethoseusersareallowedtopost,thoughtheycanchoosetheirownscreennames."Ifyouwanttopost"informationonline,"youhavetotakeresponsibility,"saidWangHui,spokeswomanfortheBeijingmunicipalgovernment,addingthattheabilitytousescreennamesstillwillallowuserstohavesomeprivacy.ThoughthenewrulesarelimitedtoBeijingfornow,theexpectationisthattheywillbeextendedelsewhere.

Thedisclosureofthenewrulesspurreditsownprotestsonline.Onemicrobloguser,underthenameMenghuanShennan,wrote,"Nowthatweibousersarerequiredtoregisterwiththeirrealnames,shouldtheassetsofgovernmentofficialsbereleasedonceayear?

"

Acrackdownofsomekindhadbeenwidelyexpectedforsometime,asmicroblogginghasbecomeanationalobsessioninChina,attractingasignificantportionofits1.3billionpopulation.Itsspeedoftendefeatseventhemostdiligentcensors:

Bythetimeatopicisblockedassubversive—whichinChinameansanycriticismofthegovernment—itmayhavealreadybecomeanationaltalkingpoint.

SomeindustryexpertshadexpectedBeijingtotakeaharsherroute."Real-nameregulationisareasonablecompromisebetweenmanageabilityandfreeexpression,"saidKai-FuLee,formerChinachiefforGoogleInc.whonowrunsacompanyaimedathelpingChinesetech-industrystart-ups.

Thereal-namerulealsoaddressesissuessuchasfakeaccountsandrealrumormongeringthatChineseusersdon'tactuallyobjectto.

TheInternetsectorisoneofthefewkeyindustriesinChinadominatedbyprivate-sectorcompanies,andwhileWesterncompanieshavehadtroublemakinginroads,Chinesecompanieshavethrived,attractingusersandvibrantactivitydespiteheavycensorship.Analystssaythenewruleswon'tkillmicroblogsinChinabutthreatentomakethemmuchmoretoothless.

Thepopularityofmicroblogshasdrivenupinvestorinterest—thoughnotnecessarilyprofitability—inthesector,representingaconflictforstateregulators,whopubliclycheerthegrowthofChineseInternetcompaniesbutworrythesectoristoolooselygoverned.

SinaandTencentHoldingsLtd.dominatethemarketandSinaisbyfarthemostpopularwithinfluentialusersinChina'smaincities.Sina'sservicehadnearly230millionregisteredaccountsasofSeptember.Onlyatinyportion,orabout800,000,hadverifiedidentities,thecompanysaidduringitsthird-quarterearningsreport.

Sina,whichofficiallylistsitsheadquartersinShanghaibutoperatesmostlyoutofBeijing,saiditwasevaluatingtheimpacttheruleswouldhaveonitsoperations.OfficialssaidSinaalongwithsevenmuchsmalleroperatorswouldbeaffected.

Itwasn'tclearFridaywhenthenewruleswouldtakeeffect.

TongLiqiang,executivevicepresidentofBeijing'sInternetinformationoffice,saidtheregulationcouldbereplicatedinothermunicipalities,suchasinShenzhen,whereSina'smainrivalTencentisbased.Mr.Tongalsosaididentityverificationwouldbeprovidedfreetocompaniesbypublicsecurityagencies,asa"servicetosociety."Tencentdidn'trespondtorequestsforcomment.

Ms.Wangsaidthegovernment'sintentionistoaid"thehealthygrowth"ofmicrobloggingwebsites,andsaidthemeasureswouldcreatea"morewelcomingenvironment"forusersbyreducingthelikelihoodofrumorsandother"harmfulinformation"—acommoneuphemismforcontentofficialsdisapproveof.

Somemicroblogusers'commentsonthenewrules

∙'WhywouldIbeafraidofreal-nameregistration….Astraightfootisn'tafraidofacrookedshoe.'—Mr.Wu.

∙'Theydon'thaveanamelistforpeopleinthetrainaccident.Theydon'thaveanamelistforchildrenwhodiedinschool-busaccidents.NowtheywantanamelistformillionsofWeibousers.'—YangMingjue

Shesaidthemicrobloggingservicesprovideawayforthegovernmenttointeractwiththepublic,adding,"Wedefinitelywon'tshutthemdown."

Inthepastyear,BeijinghasraisedthepitchofrhetoricaroundthedangeroussideoftheWeb.Top-levelofficialshavevisitedChina'sbiggestInternetcompanies,whichhaveinturnpledgedtostepupoversightofuser-generatedcontent.

StatemediahaveinrecentweeksdrawncolorfulparallelsbetweenWebrumorsanddrugs.Inmultiplecommentarypiecesonthewebsitesofstate-runXinhuanewsagencyandthePeople'sDailynewspaper,Internetrumorswerecalled"psychologicaldrugs"andlikenedtopornography,gambling,anda"malignanttumor,"andlabeledasworsethanheroinandcocaine,poisoningsociety.

UserssayeditorsatSinaWeiboappearedtobetakingmeasuresinrecentmonthstotampdowndiscussiononhottopicsinsteadofdrivingmoretraffictothem.Inthepast,"Sinaeditorswouldveryquicklyfocuson"breakingnews,highlightingpopularsubjectsandpeopleonthesite,saidBillBishop,aBeijing-basedexpertonChina'sInternet."Theyseemtodothatmuchlessaggressivelyandmuchlessfrequently."

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SinaCorp.'sWeibomicrobloggingwebsite,asitlookedinFebruary

Manyuserscarryondiscussionsofnoncontroversialtopics,however.ThoughstricterregulationmayreducethevibrancyofSinaWeibo,Mr.Bishopsaid,microbloggingwillstillbethebestforumtoexchangeandtransmitinformationinChinaandwillremain"aninterestingbusiness."Still,"youendupwithamuchlessinterestinglong-termpotentialbusinessthanwhatpeopleweresayingsixtoeightmonthsago,"headded.

Overthepasttwoyears,Sina'ssharesrosetoahighof$125.37onJuly19,buthavegraduallydroppedinpartduetoregulatoryconcerns.

Sinasharesclosedat$55.05onFriday,stillupfrom$46twoyearsago.

AfterthetraincrashineasternChinainJulythatkilleddozens,millionsofusersflockedtomicrobloggingsitestoexchangeinformationandexpressfrustrationwiththegovernment'sresponsetotheaccident.Thesitesalsobecameaplatformforpublicoutcryoverschool-bussafetyandgovernmentspendingafterarecentspateofdeadlyschool-buscrashes.

InWukanonFriday,localresidentssayseveralthousandvillagersattendedamemorialforXueJinbo,aprotestleaderwhodiedinpolicecustody.DemonstrationsinWukanbeganinSeptemberandescalatedfollowingMr.Xue'sdeathSunday.Localofficialssayhediedofaheartattack,butmanyvillagersbelievehewasmurdered.

SecurityforcesarmedwithautomaticriflescontinuedtocheckcarsoutsideWukan.Earlierintheweek,alocalofficialsaidthepropertydevelopmentprojectthatsparkedtheWukanunrestwasbeingputonholdfornow,evenashevowedto"strikehard"againstleadersofthevillagerevolt.Therehassofarbeenlittlesignthatvillagerswillbackdown,th