Privacy Digest

FT.com / Asia-Pacific / China - China shelves real-name blogging plan: "China has put aside proposals to force internet users to use their real names when signing up for blogging services - and will now merely encourage them to do so.

However, blog hosts will be held responsible for censoring any suspect blog entries they might make.

Chinese censors and internet regulators have been discussing how to ensure the wider use of real names online. Some officials want all bloggers to be required to tell blog hosts their real names and ID card numbers.

On Tuesday, state media quoted Huang Dengqing, general secretary of the Internet Society of China, as citing difficulties in setting up systems to verify identities and to ensure blog hosts maintained data privacy.

'The conditions for implementing a back-stage real-name system are not yet mature,' said Mr Huang. 'For the moment, there will be no compulsory . . . system, but use of such a system will be encouraged.'

The decision highlights Beijing's efforts to balance its broad system of controls over online content with the development of a strong domestic internet industry.

The government is still pursuing plans to require real-name registration on operators of online role-playing games as part of a new anti-addiction system for young players.

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(Read Original Article - Via FT.com / Asia-Pacific / China .)