This cartoon comes from the popular manga "Pony Ma challenges the regulators" (just kidding, that's not a thing...yet)
Real-name registration systems are all the rage in China these days. And by “all the rage,” what I mean is “increasingly mandated via government intervention.” Just within the past few months, we’ve seen microblogging services, online payment systems, and even public transportation implement regulations that will require users to have their state ID numbers on file. So it’s no surprise government regulators are now looking at Tencent’s (HKG:0700) QQ chat software, which is by far China’s most popular IM service.
Indeed, at a recent meeting of industry leaders and government regulators, People’s Congress representative Xue Juanchen talked about how many crimes perpetrated by youths used the internet and asked Pony Ma whether or not Tencent was considering a real-name system for QQ. Other reps expressed similar opinions, saying they hoped QQ would not become a tool for criminals.
Pony Ma said the company had indeed considered it, but was concerned about the privacy implications and the potential for leaked data from hacks. Then he started talking about the criminal side of things, and it sounds like he got fairly annoyed with the accusatory tone of the conversation, because he apparently snapped:
“When people arrange prostitution over the phone, is that the telecom operator’s responsibility?”
Pony Ma's prostitution example becomes a headline in the Southern Metropolis Daily
The line quickly made headlines in the Chinese media, as did his statement that as far as online crime was concerned, “[Criminals] use Baidu to search for [illegal products], QQ to communicate with the sellers, and Taobao to complete the transaction.” Although all of those companies have systems in place to help prevent criminal activity, Ma’s point was that ultimately criminals should be held responsible for crime, not the platforms they use to facilitate it. Ma suggested that a real-name system for QQ was fundamentally at odds with efficiency and privacy concerns, and that the subject would need further discussion and analysis.
It’s good to see someone sticking up for user privacy rights here, so our hats are off to Pony Ma, even if his stand on privacy is also a bit self-serving as it protects Tencent’s profits, too. That said, it’s be pretty clear which way the wind is blowing in China right now when it comes to real-name systems. Pony Ma’s willingness to defend user privacy is great, but we fear he may get steamrolled anyway. Either way, we’ll be watching closely to see if QQ does indeed go the way of the microblog and implement real-name requirements.
[Southern Metropolis Daily via Sina Tech]