Several Chinese cities have imposed greater restrictions on housing registration inquiries, the South China Morning Post reports. In one region, house ownership information is no longer available without the subject’s approval, and in another, local authority employees who make property ownership information public may face criminal charges, the report states. Local authorities claim the measures are designed to protect privacy, but some citizens say they are designed to protect corrupt officials. In recent months, both a county-level official and a deputy bank chief have been found to have purchased multiple homes using fraudulent money and identities, the report states.
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