Integrity system to target Net dishonesty

Internet users in the municipality with a history of online dishonesty may be barred from certain business activities in real life, a senior official from Shanghai said on Wednesday.

"Those who lied or cheated during online transactions or other online activities may not be eligible to apply for mortgage loans and credit cards," said Zhang Xuebing, chief of the Shanghai municipal public security bureau.

The new rule by the city authorities is a preparatory step for the gradual establishment of credit archives that catalogue Internet users in the municipality. He said the measures send a clear message that "dishonesty online will lead to restrictions in all fields".

The municipal government agencies launched , a credit investigation website for those engaging in online trade, in 2009. The site is a platform to make public blacklists of illegal sites and fraudulent SMS messages, and it can be used to identify individuals behind online crimes.

The police department said the website will provide the real identities of those who appear on the blacklists to credit information collectors, so that their business activities will be rejected.

According to official statistics, around 2,500 pieces of information about illegal websites, sites containing fraudulent content and operators of such sites have been put on the blacklists as of the end of January. More than 220 illegal sites that disguised themselves as official websites from banks or security exchanges were shuttered after complaints were made, said Cao Zhongping, head of network security for the Shanghai municipal public security bureau.

In addition to individual Internet users, the police department will build another blacklist of website founders who go against regulations, Cao said.

"The name of a first-time lawbreaker will be made public on this blacklist, and all of the sites set up by him or her will be under scrutiny," he said. "Repeated infringements from the same person will result in closure of the website, and the person in charge will be prevented from launching websites in the future."

Labeling is another measure to boost network security, according to the municipal police. A symbol can be used that will provide Internet users with an easy way to discern the authenticity of websites.

"It's the first digital encryption technology applied nationwide that can drive away imitators of a website. An e-label will be issued to a site upon audit and verification of previous integrity records," Zhang Xuebing said.

Safety audits cover the authenticity of the site founder's information, the legitimacy and qualification of the site in operation, and the safety condition of the site, he said.

So far, more than 1,500 e-labels have been granted.