Internet real-name system in China

The Internet real-name system in China (Chinese: 网络实名制; pinyin: Wǎngluò shímíngzhì) is a real-name system in which Internet service providers and online platforms (especially user-generated content sites) in the People's Republic of China are required to collect users' real names, ID numbers, and other information when providing services.

In 2012 the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted the Decision on Strengthening Network Information Protection, which required individuals to disclose their identities to network service providers to obtain or use services such as phone service, internet access, and posting on social media. In 2015, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced a Provision requiring users to sign up with their real name on internet services. The real-name system was codified in the Cybersecurity Law in 2016. Starting from 2016, use of cell phone numbers in mainland China have been required to be registered with real names. In 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced regulations requiring online platforms to request and verify real names and other personal information from users when they register, leading China's largest apps to start implementing the system.

In 2020, a real-name authentication system for online games was announced. Since 2022, several Chinese social platforms announced that they would display user locations based on internet protocol (IP) addresses. In 2023, several large platforms announced they would make public the real names of accounts with more than 500,000 followers. In 2025, China launched the national online identity authentication system, allowing netizens to submit their personal information to receive an "Internet certificate", a unique code that can be used to verify real-name identities and access online accounts. In November 2025, it was announced that artificial intelligence companies would need to require users to register with a phone number or national ID. In January 2026, the Cybercrime Prevention and Control Law was proposed, which lays out punishments for individuals attempting to bypass the Internet real-name system.

Since the implementation of the real-name system on the Internet may lead to the infringement and narrowing of the constitutionally protected speech space of Internet users, it has attracted concerns and generated controversy in Chinese society. A few other countries, such as South Korea, have implemented a real-name system on the Internet.

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