China’s online ID plans could inspire authoritarian regimes say human rights groups

China’s proposed national digital identity is not only bringing a risk of increased online censorship and surveillance, but it could also inspire other authoritarian regimes to use identity tools to monitor people online, according to human rights groups.

The centralized identity verification system could extend the state’s control, enhancing the government’s ability to monitor people online. By signing up to the Internet ID, sometimes translated as Network ID, users grant the system access to their entire digital trail, rights organizations Article 19 and Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) point out in an analysis published on Wednesday.

China’s Internet ID was proposed in July last year in a draft legislation outlining a national identity authentication platform that would enable real-name registration on online platforms for citizens. Users would register through the Internet ID App using their national identification card and facial recognition.

Trials kicked off barely a week after with more than 80 of China’s most popular apps joining the scheme despite legal experts, academics and activists voicing concerns about the new digital identity scheme.

CHRD and Article 19 argue that the draft regulation, officially titled Management Measure on National Network Identity Authentication Public Service, is inconsistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The groups have also expressed concern that the country’s Internet ID may inspire authoritarian regimes around the world to adopt similar government ID schemes, the same way they embraced cyber sovereignty data regulations inspired by China’s Cybersecurity Law.

“UN bodies and civil society must act now and urge Beijing to abandon this and other rights-eroding internet laws,” says Shane Yi, a researcher at CHRD.

Beijing, on the other hand, claims that introducing a national identity authentication system for popular online services would minimize the “excessive collection” of personal data by commercial entities. The country has been attempting to alleviate data privacy concerns by introducing new laws, such as the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), and punishing companies collecting excessive data, including biometrics.

Proponents of the Internet ID scheme see it as a continuation of China’s real name registration rules for online services, used to prevent fraud and other illegal activities such as ticket scalping.

The digital ID scheme is also voluntary, which points to the conclusion that it was “not designed to increase oversight over cyberspace,” an analysis from international law firm Bird & Bird argues.

Despite these arguments, China’s vast surveillance capabilities and its strict control over online activity have made many wary of the new identity tool. The censoring of experts critical of the Internet ID proposal, such as Tsinghua University philosophy professor Huang Yushen and criminal law professor Lao Dongyan, has not alleviated this skepticism.

Article Topics

China  |  cybersecurity  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  identity management  |  regulation  |  surveillance