New real name rule for bloggers

NEW users of China's microblogging services will be required to register using their real names in Shanghai from today, a move already adopted in other major cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou in a bid to purge online rumors and enhance credibility, officials said.

The regulation will soon cover all microblog users, the city government said yesterday.

Those who register with their real name can still use nicknames when logging on to publish messages or chat with others, officials said.

On December 16, microblog users in Beijing were the first to be required to register with their real names before being allowed to put up microblog posts.

According to the Beijing government, the move was to protect web users' interests and improve credibility on the Internet. They said the move would help microblogging providers enhance trustworthiness, establish name brands and improve the quality of their services.

The new regulation bans users from posting and duplicating illegal content, including information that leaks state secrets, damages national security and interests, and instigates ethnic resentment, discrimination or illegal rallies that disrupt social order.