China Backs Down On Bloggers

In a victory for free speech on the Web, China has backed down from its plans for force the country’s bloggers to register their real names.   China has already been criticized forblocking sites that don’t align with the views of its government and for its censorship of criticism. Chinese authorities had argued that registration would protect users from the spreading ofharmful information and libel, among other things.   However, very vocal howls of protest from Internet users in China’s have forced them to ease their position. Instead, under a new code,registration won’t be compulsory, although those who do register their real names will receive “better services.”   Blogging is hugely popular in China; it’s estimatedsome 20 million people blog regularly, and the best-known receive millions of hits every day. The government’s decision was welcome by Fang Xingdong, head of Bokee, one of China’s most important blog hosts.   “The new code won’t bring in any new changes, we won’t be providing any new services for people whowant to register with their real names,” he told the BBC. “People would rather write anonymously and we respect that.”   This represents a huge win in a country whose humanrights policies have often come under the spotlight, and where dissension has often been roundly crushed. Blogging in China has offered a alternative to the mainstream media, and continuing anonymityallows bloggers to post information the government might not always want Chinese citizens to know.