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GoDaddy stops selling domains to Chinese nationals
This bit of news is really over the top: It turns out that China required GoDaddy to obtain photo headshot identification of all Chinese nationals who tried to register domains with them. They were then to transfer this identification to a Chinese authority called the Network Information Center (CNNIC) so that they could "review" it. Not only that, but they were supposed to do it retroactively, too. They were expected to go through all of their Chinese users, get photo ID for each and every one of them, and hand the ID's over to the Chinese government.
They said no. I guess this isn't an obvious choice; the folks at Microsoft are still working with China (and we can only imagine what their technology is used for by the PRC). At any rate, GoDaddy had the fortitude to say no, but as a result, they can no longer accept requests for domain name registrations from Chinese nationals. I'm not quite sure what this means for existing users, though.
Comments
12
Subscribe to commentsRonnyMar 25th 2010 7:59AM
Erez...
"IDs", not "ID's".
No apostrophe is needed to pluralize.
JayenkaiMar 25th 2010 8:32AM
ID isn't a word.
Id is, but that's a different word altogether.
To try to force grammar onto a none existent word is futile.
ProlornMar 25th 2010 2:51PM
@Jayenkai: It's still strange to see an apostrophe used for pluralization, though. I sometimes feel the urge too, after seeing it used this way everywhere, but I really wish the trend had never developed.
By the way, are abbreviations actually considered non-words by convention?
JimMar 25th 2010 8:06AM
It's nice to see corporations stand up to governments. Good on you guys godaddy, and google. Now if some of these other corperations grow some balls we might get something accomplished.
AndrewMar 25th 2010 2:53PM
I don't think that's a very appropriate comment. I certainly wouldn't want to see corporations sticking the finger to the government. Corporations are out to do business, and to earn money, if the deal doesn't work out, then they stop doing business in the region -- as what GoDaddy is doing.
People it's not about growing balls.
And btw, I'm working in China and the gov requires all domain registers to be valid with ID. And only business entities are allowed to register and run .cn domains. With GoDaddy being one of the largest registrars, it's little surprise that the Chinese gov requested photo id registration for Chinese registers. Well GoDaddy did comply, they just refused to do business with the Chinese; probably a hassle and in the meantime get in trouble with the Chinese gov if they continued to serve Chinese customers without photo id registration -- they probably will find not only godaddy.com being blocked but all website domains being served by GoDaddy DNS. Contrary,GoDaddy didn't have the balls. If not, they will say "Sorry China, me ain't going to listen to you BS, business as usual".
Personally, I rather trust my identity to the government, rather than to a private organisation like Google. If corporations start to HAVE BALLS and start middle fingering governments, that will probably spell the end of privacy.
I'm glad laws are still being made by government .
ShishirMar 25th 2010 8:19AM
Well, this ID system seems to be a fair thing. And there is no point in looking up something like violation of human rights in it. Just a national security stuff.
Muffin_manMar 25th 2010 8:38AM
Would have been better if GoDaddy said "no" and still let Chinese nationals to register domains.
SanskritMar 25th 2010 8:43AM
Unfortunately, they probably would have ended up as splatter on the Great Firewall. At least this way they get to take a principled stand.
GilroyMar 25th 2010 9:19AM
First the Google China Tool is blocked and now the GoDaddy domain issue this means that U.S. is going to perform an information blockage for the people of China that is not a freedom of speech it will let down the image of the nation.
Regards
Gilroy
http://www.design2express.com/
RogueJedi86Mar 25th 2010 10:47AM
Great Firewall meets the Great Information Blockade?
BlackCoffeeNoSugarMar 25th 2010 9:58AM
From what I read from the PCWorld article through the link and other news sources online. GoDaddy is stopping selling .cn domain names, because CNNIC is demanding ID for all registrants of .cn domain, regardless of their nationality. But GoDaddy didn't mention that they are stopping selling domain names to Chinese nationals. After all, CNNIC is the registry for .cn domains. I can't see how it is going to go after domain name owners of other extensions.
scheckleyMar 25th 2010 11:09AM
The Chinese government needs to ask themselves if they can offer such a bountiful and successful governance why it needs to lock its citizens down. Hopefully the people will one day see the light and revolt, before the light is a nuclear flash.