China's top legislature on Monday began deliberating a draft decision to strengthen the protection of personal information online.

The move is meant to promote the safe flow of personal information and protect Internet users' privacy.

The draft decision, submitted to the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), says the country will protect digital information that could be used to determine the identity of a user or that concerns a user's privacy.

Network service providers and other government-sponsored institutions and companies should strictly ensure the privacy of personal digital information, it says.

The draft decision proposes the adoption of an identity management policy requiring Internet users to identify themselves to service providers, including Internet or telecommunications operators.

"Such identity management could be conducted backstage, allowing users to use different names when publicizing information," Li Fei, deputy director of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee, told lawmakers on Monday.

The draft decision aims to enhance social management on the Internet and ensure the safety of information online, Li said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 24, 2012)