BEIJING: China's government has tightened controls on Internet users by enacting rules requiring them to register their names following online postings about graft and abuses that rattled the ruling party.

The country's legislature approved the Internet measures on Friday at a closing meeting of a five-day session.

Real-name registration will curtail the Web's status as a freewheeling forum to complain, often anonymously, about corruption and official abuses.

The government has said the latest regulation is aimed at protecting Web surfers' personal information and cracking down on abuses such as junk email.

The measure would require users to report their real names to Internet service and telecom providers.

Beijing promotes Internet use for business and education but bans material deemed subversive or obscene and blocks access to many websites.