China starts testing national cyber-ID before consultation on the idea closes

China is piloting a national cyberspace ID system that links citizens’ real identities to online services via facial recognition and government-issued virtual numbers, with major apps like WeChat, Taobao, and QQ participating. Positioned to centralize identity verification and reduce ISP data retention, the initiative has drawn criticism over privacy risks, with a Tsinghua professor comparing it to monitoring users’ behavior and a legal suit challenging the pilot’s legitimacy during the public comment phase.