China’s major Beijing-based microblogging service providers will institute real name identification systems by March 16, 2012. This will require users to register with the service providers by such date with their state-issued IDs. Users who do not register by March 16, 2012 will still be able to login to their accounts, but will only be permitted to browse postings on the sites and not transmit messages.

Chinese officials first proposed real name identification for microblogs late last year, leaving it up to different cities to craft their own policies. On December 16, the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, the Beijing Communications Administration and the Beijing Internet Information Office and the Beijing Municipal Information Office jointly issued "Beijing Microblog Development and Management Regulations," (the “Rules”), which became effective on the same date.

In addition to requiring users of microblogging services to register their real names with microblogging service providers, the 16-point Rules...

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