Holding service provider accountable for telecom fraud sets legal precedent

A court in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, has ordered a Chinese telecom carrier to compensate a 75-year-old man, who lost 480,000 yuan ($77,300) in a telecom fraud case two years ago, as it failed to show the swindler's real caller ID. The verdict is reportedly the first of its kind in the country. Comments:

Holding the aforementioned carrier accountable is neither groundless nor wrongful. A telecommunications service provider is morally obligated to protect its paying users by keeping fraudsters at bay. Further revisions to the relevant laws and regulations governing the telecom industry are needed to define a carrier's legal responsibilities.

Xinmin Evening News, July 14