The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released a 10-clause regulation on Feb. 4 that calls for the banning of fake accounts in Chinese social media.
The move will force people to use their real names for registering online accounts.
The CAC ban targets account handles and Internet avatars with malicious content and also those that pose as celebrities and institutions.
According to the regulation, avatars and account names are prohibited from including information that is against the laws of China, undermines the power of the state, destabilizes national security and sovereignty, or can be seen as rumor-mongering.
Malicious content also includes the propagation of cults and the distribution of extremism or pornography, in addition to the defamation and insulting of others.
The CAC's new regulation will take effect starting Mar. 1. By then the agency will begin monitoring all the avatars and account names that are registered in social media networks such as blogs, microblogs, comment sections, online forums and instant messenger services, among others.
The regulation also holds Internet service providers accountable for any illegal content that could be uploaded, adding that the companies should improve the supervision over their services and handle tips sent to them by the public in a timely fashion.
The CAC ruling, however, lets users display customized account names as long as they register for the account using their real names. The ruling only cracks down on fictitious accounts that pose as celebrities or institutions, and citizens are given a set time to take down illegal content before their accounts are cancelled or suspended.
The new regulation was developed in response to several online cases that allegedly caused infringements on the interests of the public.
The CAC's mobile Internet bureau head Xu Feng told reporters in a news briefing that there have been some online accounts that used names similar to those of departments of the government and official media outlets to spread false rumors.
There are also some accounts that pose as international leaders such as United States President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. There are also some accounts that promote drugs, prostitution and gambling publicly.
Last month, the CAC revealed that it had forced 17 WeChat accounts to close over the past couple of months, including accounts that posed as public organizations or media outlets.
"This does not restrict Internet users; instead, it protects their legitimate rights," said Xu, adding that the public is encouraged to participate in the initiative by informing authorities of violators of the regulation.
