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Are you tired of entering your sensitive information, such as ID number, username, social security number, etc., on random websites and apps? You should, since this can lead to identity theft and other hidden risks. Here comes China's digital ID, but what is it exactly?In 2009, China began requiring real-name registration or other alternatives, such as a phone number, for users to access various private and public services. As the system forced users to reveal too much private information to service providers, an alternative was proposed last summer –a system in which a user's real identity would not be revealed during registration, as long as the user has applied for a government-issued digital ID. To apply for the digital ID, one would have to download an app named "National Network Identity Verification" or "国家网络身份认证", enter your ID number and submit to a facial recognition scan. After completing the above steps, you will be issued a Network ID Number and a Network ID Certificate. The Network ID Number is a digital identity number that is linked to one's real identity information. Service providers would not be able to access the registrant's identity information, such as their real name, ID number, etc., but will only receive a notification informing them that the user is verified after submitting the user's Network ID Number. The Network ID Certificate also serves the same purpose, i.e., it is an alternative to one's physical identity card. Its advantage is that it hides all the information about the user. For instance, when a service provider requests information about them through the Network ID Certificate, they only receive "Pass" or "Not Pass", without the user's real name, identity card number, etc.
The digital ID was rolled out on July 15 this year, and users can use it to register accounts on more than 400 service providers, including WeChat, Taobao, 12123, exam registration, and they can use it to access government services. The system preserves privacy, since service providers will no longer have to collect real information about the users. This prevents service providers' tendency to excessively collect and save citizen's personal information on the grounds of implementing real-name registration.Is It Mandatory?
The system is not mandatory.
Source: Heilongjiang Cyber Police*The opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author.*GBA Expats: Free services offered by BAFLA and Bay Area International Exchange Service Center外语圈: BAFLA's Chinese channel 中文频道
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