From PNW:
China’s government has taken yet another monumental step toward absolute digital control. Beginning this week, Beijing will roll out a centralized digital ID system that links every online user to a government-assigned code — a code tied not just to names, but to facial scans and vast troves of personal information. The regime claims it will protect privacy. But make no mistake: this is not about privacy. It’s about power.
+
For years, China has enforced a “real-name registration” policy, meaning most online activities were already linked to users’ identities. But now, that data pipeline will bypass companies like Alibaba or Weibo and flow directly into the hands of the state. Beijing alone will oversee this identification system, making it the master key to every Chinese citizen’s digital life. If that doesn’t unsettle you, it should.