Chinese internet users surges past half a billion

The number of microbloggers expressing themselves in the relative privacy of cyberspace has exploded – quadrupling from 63 million in 2010 to just over 250 million in 2011, or half the entire internet population, the figures show.
Such self-expression on such sites run by Sina Corp and Tencent Holdings, greatly worries the government, however.
Over recent weeks, security officials have stepped up already very strict internet censorship by ordering social media users in major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, to register with police using their real names. ...

The number of microbloggers expressing themselves in the relative privacy of cyberspace has exploded – quadrupling from 63 million in 2010 to just over 250 million in 2011, or half the entire internet population, the figures show.

Such self-expression on such sites run by Sina Corp and Tencent Holdings, greatly worries the government, however.

Over recent weeks, security officials have stepped up already very strict internet censorship by ordering social media users in major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, to register with police using their real names.