By Xu Shenglan

Internet cafe customers in Kuming, Yunnan Province are encouraged to register their real names by using their identity cards under a pilot program engineered by the local authorities, according to a local newspaper.

"The campaign is being promoted in more than 600 Internet cafés in Kunming, and we are one of them," a worker at the Haiqiao Internet Café told the Global Times Thursday.

According to the program, those who volunteer to register will need to produce their ID cards, which contain personal information that will be recorded into the system.

It costs users 6 yuan ($0.86) to register and they will get a pin number linked with their ID numbers for permanent use. Users will get cards that could be used to store money and use at cafés.

One of the main goals behind the program is to help reduce the number of Internet café users under 18.

"This is a practical move to promote real-name registration in Internet cafés," said the worker.

"It's easier to prevent teenagers from entering Internet cafés."

"The program will help us assist the police to track down criminals once they show up," said Zhang Zhimin, manager of Dabaotang Internet Café.

In response to some people's concern about the security of their personal data, Internet café manager Yang Rong said that data is automatically hidden inside the system and not even managers of Internet cafés could be able to see it.

Shanghai, Chengdu, Changchun and some other cities are reportedly to follow suit.