China Introduces National Cyber ID Amid Privacy Concerns

China has launched a voluntary National Online Identity Authentication Public Service aimed at protecting citizens’ online privacy by centralizing digital identity verification and reducing private company data collection. The system, mandatory for companies but voluntary for users, allows citizens to register using official documents whilst shielding their information from internet services. However, digital rights activists criticize the initiative as expanding government surveillance capabilities rather than genuinely protecting privacy. The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders and Article 19 warn that numerous regulatory exceptions enable authorities to access personal data without notification, whilst government control over digital certificates could effectively erase users’ entire online presence. Unlike similar systems in Australia or Singapore, China’s approach has raised particular concerns given the government’s broader surveillance infrastructure and treatment of activists, with critics describing it as “mass surveillance dressed up as user rights.“​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​