China to register all mobile users

Register or lose your phone service

NEWS

China is to require all of its mobile phone users to register their details with mobile providers or lose their connection.

While all pre-pay users already register personal information with their operators for billing purposes, the new requirement from the Chinese Ministry of Information could affect hundreds of millions of pay-as-you-go users.

According to reports, the government has instated the edict to cut telephone fraud and illegal SMS services, which distribute forbidden content including pornography.

The new rule is expected to come into force before the end of this year, with users who fail to register eventually seeing their service cut off.

Concerns have been raised that the government intends to use the edict to stop anti-government sentiment distributed via mobiles.

Comments

There are 2 comments. Join the discussion

  1. 1. Joe Whitehead

    You can't have it both ways... I'm sure there's those that like the money made from the phones, but there's others who resent the phones.

    • 6 December 2005 12:19
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  2. 2. Pi Aier

    Funny to see how all news from China is expanded. France's mobile phone must belong to someone with a valid identity. And nobody says France is a totalitarian country.

    • 20 March 2006 13:52
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