China starts micro-managing micro-blogging

THE GLORIOUS PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC of China government has issued new rules that require that web users, at least those that want to use social blogging sites, register their personal details and real names.

We won't speculate too hard on why, but we can assume it's for reasons to do with personal security and privacy, specifically the lack of those.

According to the BBC the rules come out of Beijing and apply to Weibo users and Chinese Twitter-alikes. Following the release of guidance from the government new users of local services Sina and Sohu will have to use their real names, while existing ones have a three month period in which to get their profiles in line.

Anyone in China who does not comply with this demand from the Chinese government's information, communication and police authorities will lose the ability to micro-blog, and possibly the attention of some men in uniform that they could live without.

The new regulations take effect immediately and any web sites registered in the capital Beijing have to comply with them. There are sixteen points to follow and you can look at them here, if you can bear the Google translation.

This is pretty draconian stuff and the Chinese government seems to be trying to outdo what its Western peers are building for themselves with the Digital Economy Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act.

Oh hang on. We might have this the wrong way 'round. µ