Creepy Government Watch: China Mulls E-Stamps

China is developing e-mail stamp technology so the government can trace senders and fight spam, according to reports.

Am I the only one a little creeped out by this announcement?

According to reports, China’s e-stamp system would be similar to an electronic mark in the e-mail containing information to identify the sender. Only third parties such as the Anti-Spam Working Committee under the Internet Society of China and government bodies could decode the mark and trace the senders, according to a report on China Knowledge.

This is a country that has defined spam as: “All e-mail spreading junk information, rumors, erotic content, fraud or viruses, as well as unsolicited marketing material,” according to the English version of People’s Daily Online.

Chinese authorities have yet to decide whether or not senders will pay for the stamps.

Hmmm… okay. Sinking in. … Got it.

In China, soon people will get to pay for a little piece of technology that can trace e-mails to them. This way, if they spread a rumor or “junk information” the government doesn’t like, Chinese authorities can identify them and pack them off to labor camps for re-education.

Nope. No downside there. Hooray for China’s e-stamp!