Over 50 popular apps in China are testing virtual identity verification.

The draft regulations state that network ID verification aims to "reduce the excessive collection and storage of citizens' personal information by internet platforms when users are required to register with their real names."

Accordingly, Chinese internet users can register for virtual IDs "on a voluntary basis" to verify their identity online without disclosing sensitive personal information, such as their national ID number, to the platforms.

The process for applying for a virtual ID involves using a designated application to read a physical ID card, perform facial recognition, link to a registered phone number in China, and generate an eight-digit password.

In addition to identity cards, applicants for virtual IDs can also use documents such as passports, travel documents, and permanent residence IDs for foreign citizens living and working in mainland China.

SMCP reports that popular applications such as the image editing platform Meitu, as well as store owner terminals on Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall, Meituan, and Douyin owned by ByteDance, have added a new login option for virtual IDs.

Previously, Tencent and Alibaba also implemented policies requiring users to verify their identity when their accounts were identified as showing "unusual" activity. Tencent owns the super app WeChat with over 1.3 billion monthly active users (MAU), while Alibaba's Taobao also has over 887 million MAU.

Shen Kui, a law professor at Peking University, said a unified network ID would simplify the authentication process in online transactions and reduce the potential for misuse of personal information. However, the downside is that it would create a centralized surveillance system that could comprehensively track and analyze an individual's online footprint.

(According to SCMP)

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