China's first WeChat IDs issued in Guangzhou

Guangzhou residents will no longer have problems proving their identities even when they forget their ID cards now,as special WeChat IDs have begun to roll out in Nansha district on Dec 25.

A total of 10 organizations including Guangzhou municipal public security bureau Nansha sub-bureau, internet giant Tencent and China Construction Bank launch the Police Affairs Cloud Alliance on Dec 25. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com] 

The online ID, the first of its kind in China, was issued by a special platform jointly launched by 10 organizations including Guangzhou municipal public security bureau Nansha sub-bureau, the internet giant Tencent and China Construction Bank.

To get a WeChat ID, residents need to download an app named “微警认证”(Weijing Renzheng) for an online registration and then complete an offline verification at any of the 48 verification handling points across the city. The number of the verification points will gradually increase in the future to provide citizens with greater convenience.

A resident completes the offline verification procedures at one verification point in Guangzhou to get a WeChat ID. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]

According to Guangzhou municipal public security bureau, the WeChat ID now offers main functions such as personal identity verification and online payment.

Traditionally, residents needed to provide their ID cards or copies of ID cards when conducting certain registrations, which is inconvenient and had issues of privacy; the WeChat IDs collect personal information and uses encryption technology to protect the information from leaking, according to Yan Dong, deputy chief of Ideological and Political Work Office of Guangzhou municipal public security bureau Nansha sub-bureau.

Two residents show off their WeChat IDs on Dec 25. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]