An overwhelming majority of Internet users oppose having to provide their real names when registering a blog, but they agree it should be required for mobile phone user, a recent survey shows.

According to a survey by the social survey center of China Youth Daily, 83.5 percent of the 1,843 interviewed oppose the plan and 59.7 percent agreed that "a real-name registration system is unpractical in cyberspace."

"Virtual is the essence of the Internet," said Huang Ying, a university BBS editor who expects the number of visitors to her site will drop if registration becomes a requirement.

Only 15.6 percent of the interviewees support the system, believing that it will be effective in forcing users to be more responsible in their on-line comments.

Such strong opposition fades when it comes to the use of mobile phone as 70.5 percent of respondents are in favour of real-name registration and 66.9 percent of them say it will reduce scam artists who use short message to cheat people.

Still, 43 percent of the surveyed argue that the government's desire to tighten control should not be at the sacrifice of citizens' privacy.

With over 130 million Internet users, and soon to outnumber those in the United States, China is considering steps to regulate its online space.

The Internet Society of China (ISC) said if Internet users are required to register their real names they will still be free to write under pseudonyms. Their real identities will remain confidential and protected if they do "nothing illegal or harmful to the public."

Source: Xinhua