Provisions on the Administration of Internet User Account Name Information of the PRC — Full English Translation (2015)

Issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China on February 4, 2015

Effective: March 1, 2015

Table of Contents

Chapter I — General Provisions

Article 1 — These Provisions are formulated in accordance with the relevant laws and administrative regulations such as the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Strengthening Network Information Protection and the Regulations on Internet Information Service Management for the purpose of strengthening the administration of internet user account names, protecting the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, and maintaining national security and public interests.

Article 2 — These Provisions apply to the registration and use of internet user account names and the administration thereof within the territory of the People’s Republic of China.

For the purposes of these Provisions, “internet user account name” refers to the name used by an institution or individual to identify itself when registering an account with an internet information service provider for the purpose of using internet information services, including account names, nicknames and profile names.

Article 3 — The Cyberspace Administration of China shall be responsible for the supervision, administration and law enforcement of internet user account names nationwide. The cyberspace administration authorities of local governments shall be responsible for the supervision, administration and law enforcement of internet user account names within their respective administrative regions in accordance with their duties and responsibilities.

Chapter II — Real Identity Information Registration

Article 4 — Internet information service providers shall implement a real identity information registration system for internet user accounts and shall require users to provide their true identity information when registering for an account. Users who do not provide their true identity information shall not be provided with relevant services.

Article 5 — Internet information service providers shall verify the identity information of users who register for internet user accounts. Network access operators and other organizations providing identity verification services shall cooperate in identity verification in accordance with the law.

Article 6 — Internet information service providers shall keep the true identity information of users in confidence and shall not disclose, tamper with, destroy or sell such information, or illegally provide it to other persons.

Chapter III — Account Name Management

Article 7 — An internet user account name shall not contain any of the following content:

(1) content that violates the basic principles established in the Constitution;

(2) content that endangers national security, divulges state secrets, subverts state power, or undermines national unity;

(3) content that damages national honor and interests;

(4) content that incites ethnic hatred or ethnic discrimination, or undermines ethnic unity;

(5) content that undermines state religious policies, or propagates cults and feudal superstitions;

(6) content that disseminates rumors, disrupts social order, or undermines social stability;

(7) content that disseminates obscenity, pornography, gambling, violence, terror, or instigates crime;

(8) content that insults or slanders others, or infringes upon the lawful rights and interests of others;

(9) content prohibited by laws and administrative regulations.

Article 8 — Internet user account names shall not impersonate any of the following institutions or public figures:

(1) party, government and military organs, enterprises, public institutions, and people’s organizations;

(2) titles of news media;

(3) names of state administrative regions;

(4) public figures such as national leaders, heroes and role models;

(5) other institutions or public figures that may mislead the public.

Chapter IV — Obligations of Internet Service Providers

Article 9 — Internet information service providers shall establish and improve management systems for internet user account names and shall designate full-time personnel to be responsible for the review of account names.

Article 10 — Internet information service providers shall review the account names registered by users. If an account name is found to violate the provisions of these Provisions, the provider shall suspend the provision of services to the account and require the user to change the account name within a prescribed period. If the user refuses to change the account name, the provider shall close the account.

Article 11 — Internet information service providers shall properly protect user information and shall establish and improve systems for the protection of user information, including complaint and report handling systems.

Article 12 — Internet information service providers shall keep records of user registration information and changes to account names. The retention period for relevant records shall be not less than 6 months.

Chapter V — Supervision and Administration

Article 13 — The cyberspace administration authorities shall supervise and inspect internet information service providers’ implementation of these Provisions and shall deal with any violations found in a timely manner.

Article 14 — The cyberspace administration authorities shall establish a system for reporting illegal internet user account name information, publish the reporting methods, and accept supervision from the public.

Article 15 — Cyberspace administration authorities shall, in conjunction with the relevant competent authorities, establish a mechanism for information sharing, case notification and joint investigations in respect of illegal internet user account names.

Chapter VI — Legal Liability

Article 16 — Where an internet information service provider fails to implement the real identity information registration system as required by these Provisions, the cyberspace administration authority shall order it to make corrections within a prescribed period and give a warning; where it refuses to make corrections, a fine of not more than RMB 30,000 may be imposed.

Article 17 — Where an internet information service provider fails to perform its account name review obligations as required or fails to keep relevant records, the cyberspace administration authority shall order it to make corrections and give a warning; where it refuses to make corrections, a fine of not more than RMB 30,000 may be imposed.

Article 18 — Where an internet information service provider illegally uses, discloses, tampers with, destroys, or sells user identity information, the relevant competent authorities shall impose penalties in accordance with the law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued.

Chapter VII — Supplementary Provisions

Article 19 — Internet information service providers that have registered internet user account names existing before the implementation of these Provisions shall complete rectification within 3 months from the date of implementation of these Provisions.

Article 20 — These Provisions shall be interpreted by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Article 21 — These Provisions shall come into force on March 1, 2015.