No More Roaming in China

Once again the Chinese government is finding ways to maneuver around freedoms that are afforded by new technologies, like the cell phone. The Ministry of Information has announced that it will require all users of phone cards for mobiles to register with the government or face having their service cut.

The official reason given is that according to the Ministry of Information Industry, "China will require all mobile phone users to register in the near future in an effort to stem rampant telephone fraud and illegal text massaging...." Obviously, their real reason is that it will allow the PRC to monitor conversations that were previously impossible to track. Even in their own statement they said that the new rules would help to monitor “improper political commentary."

This of course comes at the same time as the UN announced that China is still one of the worst users of torture in the world (yes, even worse then the "evil" Americans). Overall this just is another peace of evidence of the fact that letting the PRC enter the free market is not helping the citizens of China, but instead is giving the communist government more incentive to stay in power.