Heavy traffic closes ID-checking site

A government website set up to provide an identity verification service has collapsed due to heavy traffic, and amid controversy over its legitimacy.

The site, which opened on Friday at www.nciic.com.cn, is run by the National Citizen Identity Information Center under the Ministry of Public Security. It was suspended at the weekend due to too many visitors, an announcement on the site said yesterday.

A member of the site's customer service team, who refused to give her name, said technicians were trying to fix the problem, but could not say when the site would reopen.