Sohu.com published a news story today titled Chongqing Public Security Burea issues new Internet registration regulations (in Chinese).
The regulations require every single computer that connects to the Internet to be registered by its owner with the Public Security Bureau, the Orwellian-sounding name that China still uses to describe its police. Internet users who do not comply face fines and suspension of their Internet service. All users are required to register before October 30 this year.
The reason for this absurd rule is the usual excuse of preventing Internet crime.
The article mentions that Chongqing city has about one million Internet users. With computer prices going down all the time and anonymous dial up connections easily available, the cops of Chongqing are going to have to do a lot of overtime if they want this ridiculous rule to have any effect on the city’s netizens.
– Thanks to Comrade N for the link