internet - Shanghai tries to controle internet cafe's - NYT

The New York Times > International > Asia Pacific > Despite an Act of Leniency, China Has Its Eye on the Web: "In recent weeks, Shanghai, China's largest and most Internet-connected city, has quietly introduced a series of controls, arguably the country's most far-reaching yet, and critics fear, a model eventually to be used nationwide. Described by city officials as a measure intended to combat pornography and to bar entry for minors to Internet bars, the Shanghai regulations require customers to use swipe cards that would allow administrators or others to record their national identity numbers and track their Internet use.
The regulations have kicked up little public debate, in part because they have received little publicity here during the planning stage. But fierce protests have appeared online, where many active Internet users are interpreting the new regulations as an extension of the police state. "[end quote]

Key question is how effective these measures can be. Most of the internet cafe's are rather low-margin ventures, that would rather opt for illegality then see their small margins being wiped away by this kind of compulsory features.
The argument about privicy also pops up: The New York Times > International > Asia Pacific > Despite an Act of Leniency, China Has Its Eye on the Web: "Asked if the privacy of Internet users could be infringed, the official said that the Shanghai government had noted the issue, but added that 'Internet bars are public areas, and some experts say that what one says in a public area should not be considered private.''" [end quote]