Telecom operators must protect user information

Beijing municipal government has said it will require all mobile phone users to register with their real names, says an article in?Beijing News Daily. Excerpts:

Protecting the personal information of mobile phone users is an important part of Internet information protection.

When users provide their real identity information, they have the right to expect relevant operators and authorities will take effective action to protect their personal information.

If not, it is unfair for individual users to supply their identity information.

Beijing municipal government has said it will require all mobile phone users to register with their real names.

Real-name mobile phone registration has been piloted since Sept 1, 2010 in some cities. But some customers find telecommunication operators do not protect their personal information well, leaking details.

Also, some operators do not strictly carry out the policy and people can still apply for some new mobile telecommunication services anonymously.

So sorting out the malpractices of the telecommunication operators is the first obstacle in reforms to expand real-name registration across other areas.

The operators have the necessary technology and expertise to strengthen the supervision and administration of private information security.

As mobile phones become the most common way for users to surf the Internet, there is no reason for operators, especially State-owned ones, not to protect the legal rights of customers.