Bloggers and twitterers are discussing the implementation of real name registration in Baidu's micro blogging platform, Baidu Shuoba. Some speculated that Baidu, the largest search engine company in China, is connected to the government ID Data base, as the verification of the Baidu Shuoba requires a complete match of the identity card's name and number.
WL: Baidu Shuoba is so disgusting, you have to input your identity card number to register an account. Are they police? if user's ID information is leaked? Who is going to take up the responsibility? If people use the information to commit online crime, who is there to monitor? WL:The verification system in Baidu Shuoba is very distinctive, it is possible that there is a backdoor connection to the Chinese resident data base. It requires a complete match between the ID card and ID name for verification. Baidu is working closely with the government on this. Moreover, don't follow people spontaneously, once there is a mutual follow relation, the follower will get your mobile phone number.
Zhengyun, another IT expert, picked up the discussion and pointed out that Baidu, like most of the local search engine, has always been connected with the GFW filter run by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). In his tweets he said:
Zhengyun: It seems that there is a lot of security risk in Baidu Shuoba. I suggest friends in the IT circle don't act as white mouse. As for human rights activists, the police will track you down within minutes. Zhengyun: Baidu search engine has a connection with the MIIT, which handles the sensitive words and helps to ensure that the search result is legal. This special arrangement is a requirement sent to all search engine companies in China by the MIIT. Even Google and Bing was used to comply to such arrangement. The sensitive words and blacklists are controlled directly by MIIT.