Residents of the Chinese mainland are embracing cyberspace IDs to safeguard their online privacy. By using a digital identifierāa string of letters and numbers or an encrypted credentialāusers can interact with websites and apps without revealing names or ID numbers.
As of this week, more than 6 million residents have applied for and activated cyberspace IDs through a national platform set up by authorities in the Chinese mainland in June 2023. The platform verifies real-life identity documents, such as resident ID cards, then issues a digital ID that hides plain-text information.
Under new regulations published by six government departmentsāincluding the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the Cyberspace Administration of Chinaāresidents who choose to use cyberspace IDs will no longer need to share personal data when registering with internet service providers. The rules take effect on July 15.
The regulations mandate a āminimum and necessaryā standard: the authentication service platform collects only essential data and returns verification results, without storing extra plain-text details unless required by law or with explicit user consent.
According to the MPS, the official app for issuing and authenticating cyberspace IDs has been downloaded over 16 million times. An MPS official emphasized that obtaining a cyberspace ID is voluntary and that this service not only ensures secure, convenient identity verification but also fuels the growth of the Chinese mainlandās digital economy.
Reference(s):
Millions of Chinese use cyberspace IDs to protect online privacy
cgtn.com
