Chinese city tightens Internet control after massive protest

BEIJING: A Chinese city planned to censor online chatroom exchanges and ban anonymous postings after residents used the Internet to organise a mass protest against a chemical plant, Chinese media reported on Friday.

Under a new city regulation, online users would have to use their real names when posting messages on more than 100,000 Web sites registered in Xiamen, a port city in southeastern coastal Fujian province.

“The names registered must be the same as the ones on your identity card,” it quoted an unnamed government official as saying, adding postings would be screened in advance of being posted and any unacceptable material would be blocked.

Internet censorship is common in China, where the government employs an elaborate system of filters and tens of thousands of human monitors to survey its 140 million Internet users’ surfing habits, surgically clipping sensitive content.

The Chinese government, obsessed with stability, has said Internet censorship is necessary to allow users to enjoy a “healthy” online environment and help build a “harmonious” society.