Will IP Location Openness Affect Posts?—An Empirical

A few countries have requested open IP locations of posters in order to combat rumors and strengthen management. Such policies intensify information surveillance of users, which may in turn influence their online behavior. In the context of multiple governments considering the implementation of this policy, it is essential to assess its impact. We examine the impact of IP location openness on posters’ behavior and patterns based on the empirical data of Sina Weibo, and analyze the heterogeneous impact on users of different genders. Regression discontinuity and short-run panel data regression results show that IP location openness reduces the frequency of users’ social media participation behavior; specifically, the frequency of reposting microblogs and posting geo-tagged microblogs is remarkably diminished, while the frequency of posting photos is not discernibly changed. Long-run panel data regression results indicate that the overall inhibitory effect on the frequency of social media participation behavior disappears, and it only has a negative effect on posting geo-tagged microblogs. The results of heterogeneity analysis suggest that the short-run negative impact of IP location openness on female users’ social media participation behavior is more remarkable than that of male users.