This got deleted from lemmy.ml for fuck all reason so reposting here, I assume the mods here will be more reasonable as this is a completely normal article and good information for any users here that also use Weibo, maybe it's a sensitive issue but to my knowledge none of the information presented here is false so the takedown was for petty reasons
The massive Chinese social media network Sina Weibo informed its platform’s most popular users last week that they must display their real identities, including names, gender, IP locations, as well as professional and educational background, on their account page starting at the end of October.
The policy will first apply to Weibo users with more than 1 million followers and later extend to those with half a million followers. It is believed that other social media platforms in China will also follow the move.
China implemented the online real-name registration system in 2012. Under the policy, personal data are stored on the platforms and are invisible to other users. Last year, Chinese social media platforms started displaying the IP locations of social media users to crack down on online rumors, including witness accounts of social incidents such as protests.
The latest change was confirmed by Weibo’s CEO Wang Gaofei, who briefly activated the personal information display on his profile page on October 20, 2023. Wang’s social credit status, employment, and professional and educational background were all listed on this profile page.
The new policy triggered a heated debate on Chinese social media. Unexpectedly, online patriots, who are usually fairly united, split into two camps over the new requirements.
global times article for comparison: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202310/1299946.shtml
I wondered why they were so opposed to a factual article which contains thoughtful commentary from several different perspectives (as opposed to a clear, obvious slant)… but then I realized I was simply repeating a classic mistake that I’ve made before. I was expecting reasonable behavior from unreasonable people.