Imagine needing a government-issued ID just to scroll online.
That’s the reality fast approaching in China, as the country gears up to roll out its national internet ID.
For years, China has led the world in online surveillance—mandatory ID checks, relentless censorship.
Armies of moderators scrubbing dissent before it catches fire.
Now, with this centralized system, users won’t just verify their identity app by app.
One government-issued ID will unlock—and monitor—it all.
What’s The Reason?
Officially, it’s about protecting users’ data and boosting the digital economy. But critics call it something else entirely.
“It’s not just surveillance—it’s an infrastructure of digital totalitarianism,” warns Xiao Qiang, an internet freedom expert at UC Berkeley.
Human rights groups fear the ID will silence what little online dissent remains.
“The government can track a user’s entire digital trail from point zero,” said Shane Yi of China Human Rights Defenders.
Authorities insist the system is voluntary.
Yet with millions already signed up, experts worry it’s only a matter of time before “optional” turns to “mandatory.”
