The Chinese government wants public instant messaging users to register their real-name and for those looking to publish or reprint political news to seek prior approval, Reuters reported, citing the official Xinhua news agency and Tencent. The restrictions will affect mobile messaging apps such as Tencent’s WeChat, which has almost 400 million users. Other instant messaging tools include Tencent's QQ, Alibaba’s Laiwang app, NetEase's Yixin and Xiaomi's Miliao.
Tencent said it will work within the new regulations which it stressed would only apply to public accounts and not to everyday users. Alibaba and Xiaomi declined to comment while NetEast was not available for immediate comment.
Public, or official, accounts can send out single messages to a much larger number of followers than individual users and are commonly used by media organisations and companies. Accounts that have not been approved by the instant messaging service provider will be forbidden to publish or reprint political news, Xinhua said. It added that service providers must verify and publicly mark accounts that can publish or reprint political news. Public account users must also sign an agreement with the service provider when they register, promising "to comply with the law, the socialist system, the national interest, citizens' legal rights, public order, social moral customs, and authenticity of information," the news agency said.
