User:Paubari/sandbox

Weibo (微博) is the Chinese word for "microblog(ging)". It refers to microblogging services in China. They are mostly restricted to the services based in China, because of media censorship controlled by Chinese government.

Terms
"Wei boke" (微博客) and "weixing boke" (微型博客), commonly abbreviated as "weibo" (微博), are the Chinese words for "microblog(ging)". A China-based microblogging service often names itself with the term Weibo by putting it after the name of the service (e.g. Sina Weibo). A homonymie "围脖" is used as an Internet slang for "weibo".

Sina Weibo is the most visited site, follow by Tencent Weibo. Sina has used the domain name weibo.com for the service since April 2011. Weibo refers to microblogging services offered in China, but the term is often used to refer Sina Weibo, because of its popularity and domain name.

The “Real Name” Policy
Microblogs have become wildly popular in China in recent years, and state media reports that there are more than 300 million registered users. These microblogging sites are a major source of commentary in China on a wide range of topics. After the high-speed train wreck incident in 2011 (as known as the Wenzhou Train Collision ) that resulted death of 40 people, online posting played a key role in breaking news and serving as an outlet for expressing opposed to the government.

The government has been nervous about the social impact brought by the newly popularized social media platform --- microblog. Therefore, since 2011, there have been a lot of rumors about that the government is going to execute the “Real Name” Policy very soon. Early in February 2012, China’s four key microblog companies --- Sina, Sohu, NetEase and Tencent --- announced March 16, 2012 as the deadline for the users to adopt the real name identity.

The “Real Name” Policy requires all users on Chinese microblog websites to register with the name that corresponds with their government issued ID card (also known as the Resident Identity Card ). However, the user name that shows on their homepage doesn’t have to be their legal name. And the reason why the government and relevant departments are bringing out this measure is due to Internet censorship. With the Real Name Policy, the government will be more capable of controlling the speech and communications on the Internet.

Although the regulation was supposed to take an effect on March 16, there was no implementation of the new policy. Even worse, since all the microbloggers are complaining about this policy, Sina Weibo started to censor posts that contain the phrase “real name registration” or any related terms on its services from March 19, 2012.

Voices from the users and experts
A number of users raised voices to oppose this policy because the real name requirement may limit the type of discussions that has made the online service appealing by allowing people to share their true thoughts. Some of them claim they have decided to switch to an overseas social media service. Also, a blogger said there is already a computer program that generates fake identification numbers to help microbloggers remain anonymous. In addition, the communication expert views this policy as “politically motivated to curb expressions related to political issues as well.”

Relative Policies
(directly translated from the official regulation)

[Several Regulations on Microblog Development and Administration Enacted by the Beijing Government] 2011.12.16

1. For standardizing the microblog service and its development and management, maintaining the order of online communication, ensuring information securities, protecting the legitimate interest of the Internet information services sites and the microblog users, satisfying the public’s needs to Internet information, and promoting well-ordered development of the Internet, this regulation referred to the actual situation of the city and is enacted according to the “Telecommunications Regulations of the People's Republic of China”, the “Measures for the Administration of Internet Information Services” and other laws, legislations, and regulations.

2. All website firms developing microblog services within the city’s administrative area and all their microblog users ought to comply with this regulation.

3. The microblog development and management adheres to the principles of positive utilization, practical development, rightful administration, and security guarantee. It has positive impact on promoting microblog construction and use, as well as its service to the community.

4. The development of microblog services must comply with the constitution, laws, legislations, and regulations. It should propagate the socialist core value system and the advanced socialist culture, and serve to the establishment of a socialist harmonious society.

5. All rights reserved to the municipal government of Beijing to enact plans for microblog service and development, and to enact regulations on the total amount, structure and layout of the microblog service sites.

6.	All microblog service sites within the city’s administration area must rightfully ask for permission from the department that is in charge of Internet information content before applying for a telecommunications business license or performing non-operational Internet information services filing procedures.

7. All microblog service sites must comply with relevant laws, legislations, regulations and the following rules:


 * (1) Establishing and improving administrative regulations for microblog information security.
 * (2) Determining the agency responsible for information security, and equipping with appropriate personnel with professional knowledge and skills according to the number of users and the amount of information on microblogging sites.
 * (3) Implementing technical security control measures.
 * (4) Establishing and improving the administrative regulations on user information security; protecting the user information security and strictly prohibiting disclosure of user information.
 * (5) Establishing and improving the disclosure system of false information; publicizing truthful information timely.
 * (6) Must not provide information interface to websites without a telecommunications business license or that fails to record performing non-commercial Internet information service to relevant departments.
 * (7) Must not create fake microblog user accounts.
 * (8) Prohibiting and controlling users who spread harmful information; reporting to the public security bureau if found a violation of public security administration or a suspect of crime.
 * (9) Assisting and cooperating with relevant departments to carry out administration and management.

8. All microblog service sites must establish and improve censorship regulations on information content, and regulate the creation, copy, publish and transmit of content on microblogging sites.

9. Any group or person who registers a microblog account and create, duplicate, publish or transmit information must use real identification information; must not use fake or others’ residence identification information, business registration information or organization code information to register a microblog account. Microblog service sites must ensure the authenticity of registered users’ information.

10. Any organization or person must not unlawfully use microblog to create, duplicate, publish or transmit information containing any content that:
 * (1) violates the principles of the constitution;
 * (2) endangers national security, leaks state secrets, subverts the national government and regime or undermines national unity;
 * (3) harms national honor and national interest;
 * (4) incites ethnic hatred, ethnic discrimination or undermines national unity;
 * (5) undermines the state religion policies or propagates cult and feudalistic superstition;
 * (6) spreads rumors, disturbs social order or undermines social stability;
 * (7) spreads obscenity, pornography, gambling, violence and terror or abets the commission of crimes;
 * (8) insults or slanders others, infringes others’ lawful rights and interest,
 * (9) incites unlawful assembly, association, procession, demonstration or gatherings that disturbs social order;
 * (10) plans activities under the name of illegal civil organizations;
 * (11) contains other content prohibited by laws and administrative regulations.

11.The news administrative department of the municipal people’s government, the municipal public security bureau, the municipal department of telecommunication administration and the municipal department of Internet information content must work on microblog development and administration in accordance with their respective responsibilities.

12. The Association of Online Media, the Internet Industry Association, the Communication Industry Association and other industry organizations must establish and improve the self-regulation in the microblog industry, guide the establishment and improvement of microblog service regulations, and train and educate the websites’ employees.

13. Any organization or persons may report acts that violate this regulation to the news administrative department of the municipal people’s government, the municipal public security bureau, the municipal department of telecommunication administration and the municipal department of Internet information content. The department that receives the report must handle it in accordance to the law.

14. For microblog users and microblog service sites who violate this regulation, the news administrative department of the municipal people’s government, the municipal public security bureau, the municipal department of telecommunication administration and the municipal department of Internet information content must handle it in accordance to the law.

15. Microblog service sites that opened before the publication of this regulation must, within three months from the date of publication of this regulation, apply for relevant formalities at the municipal department that is in charge of Internet information content, and regulates the existing microblog users.

16. This regulation shall come into force as of the date of publication.

The Chinese microbloggers on Twitter
Due to the strict Internet censorship policy about microblogging enacted by the Chinese government, a number of Chinese microbloggers choose to post microblog postings that contain “sensitive contents” on Twitter. Although twitter has been blocked in China since 2009 (more information can be found on List of websites blocked in the People's Republic of China), most twitter users who reside in China can access to the Twitter website using proxy. Ai Wei-wei, a well-known Chinese artist and activist who has been arrested and controlled by the Chinese government, is one of the most active Chinese microbloggers on Twitter. Most people choose Twitter to express their views and opinions freely, since the Chinese government prohibits a certain amount of expression about political issues --- for example, issues about human rights and the Tibetan Buddhism.

On twitter, there are a number of Chinese people who have participated or led in the Chinese democracy movement taken place on June 4th 1989, such as Liu Xiaobo, the 2010 Noble Peace Prize winner as well as a political prisoner in China.

Censorship on the Chinese microblog service sites


This is a screenshot from Sina Weibo saying, “Sorry, this microblog post is inappropriate to open to public.” The backstage administrators manually check users’ microblog posts to either delete it or prevent it from the public if the content of the post has been found inappropriate, including the sensitive political issues like the Wang Lijun incident.



This screenshot says " Sorry, this microblog post has been deleted. If you need help, please contact the customer service".

Cyber-stalking on the Chinese microblog service sites
On 9:59am, January 5, 2012, Sina Weibo introduced a new function called “Hide and Follow”, which enables user A to follow user B’s microblog without being shown on user B’s follower list, and user B won’t be shown on user A’s following list either. This function makes cyber-stalking more feasible since it automatically displays user B’s newest microblog posts on user A’s microblog homepage. Therefore, if user A wants to hide and stalk, he/she no longer needs to visit user B’s microblog page to view the posts.



This is a screenshot of the “Hide and Follow” tag on Sina Weibo.