China now requires all internet cafe users to be photographed, as new restrictions on expression are slamming into place after a more permissive Olympic summer.
Internet users have been required to register with cafe patrons for some time.
The Times searched for online comments on the rules but was unable to find any — often a sign that most commentary has been critical and has therefore been erased. However, a survey by the internet version of the People’s Daily showed that 72 per cent of respondents were opposed to the measure, calling it an infringement of their rights.
More on Internet censorship in China here.
See also the Global Integrity Report: China
— Jonathan Werve