China censorship sweep deletes more than 60,000 Internet accounts

Some of China's largest Internet companies deleted more than 60,000 online accounts because their names did not conform to regulations due to take effect on March 1, the top Internet regulator said. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Tencent Holdings Ltd, Baidu Inc, Sina Corp affiliate Weibo Corp and other companies deleted the accounts in a cull aimed at "rectifying" online names, the Cyberspace Administration of China said.

The reasons for their removal included accusations of being misleading, rumor mongering, links to terrorism, or involving violence, pornography and other violations. "Previously, the real-name registration system hasn't really been enforced," said Rogier Creemers, a researcher on Chinese media law at the University of Oxford. "These rules essentially impose a uniform and consolidated system for all online services requiring accounts."