Host: The Society of Socio-Informatics
Pages 74-78
This study examines the impact of China's 2022 IP address disclosure policy on social networking service users' behavior and awareness. Utilizing Anthony Giddens' concepts of disembedding and reembedding, we analyze how this policy has reshaped users' spatial cognition, transformed regional discrimination, and redefined IP addresses' role in user identity formation. Through qualitative content analysis of Weibo trends, we find that the policy has led to identity reconstruction, new forms of regional conflicts, redefinition of online trust, and evolving user attitudes. The study reveals a process of re-embedding, where geographical location regains significance in digital spaces, creating a complex interplay between global connectivity and localized identity. This research contributes to understanding digital policy impacts on online social dynamics.
