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China to Photograph Internet Cafe Customers

China to Photograph Internet Cafe Customers

According to the latest rules, all internet cafes in Beijing must install cameras to record the identities of their internet users, who must by law be 18 or over. There are more than 250 million internet users in China, approximately 10 times more than there were in 2000.

By the end of the year, all of the city's 1,500 Internet cafés will be equipped with a camera and an ID card scanner. The cafes will be required to take photos and swipe the IDs of first-time visitors before they are allowed to surf the Internet. Once acquired, the information will be passed to Municipal Law Enforcement Agency of Beijing, which is in charge of the monitoring work. Repeat visitors would get a net café user number which they can input to log in the computer.

Read full story: Wall Street Journal

Related topics: Privacy

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Comments

And AMERICA IS SOON TO FOLLOW! Stephen Douglas  –  Oct 25, 2008 3:26 AM PST

Nothing like copying communist and fascist procedures to keep Americans in check. Trust me when I tell you that these same type of "watch you closely" techniques will be implemented in the "I'm sorry, was American once called the "wild wild west" USA"

What's the difference between the scaredy cat terrorist-phobic US public and the Chinese "we'll use these tactics to stop rants against our oppressive regime"?

Nothing. We're wimpy little suckers who will become pawns in the corporate/govt machines within a decade.  I'll be arrested and shot, or shut away, on some false trumped up charge.

Wow! That sounds serious!  It's not possible in the age of American Idol!  Well folks, less than 60 years ago, which is the age of your grandparents, fascists were gassing millions of people based on their culture, heritage and religious belief. Dead bodies piled high to the sky. In our time. In your grandparents time. It happened. Think it won't happen again?

Tell me why it won't.

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