A total of more than 4,000 legal cases involving private information crimes were resolved in China during 2021, surging 60.2 percent year on year, according to a work report by the Supreme People’s Court at the second plenary meeting of the fifth session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) held on Tuesday.
The rise in private information cases is a reflection of China’s strengthened efforts to protect personal information safety, as the problem of information leaks has become an increasingly sensitive area in an era in which the volume of information has exploded and the use of the internet has become ubiquitous.
According to the aforementioned work report, which was delivered by Zhou Qiang, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court, domestic courts have investigated and resolved 4,098 legal cases involving infringement upon citizens’ personal information, including illegal trade of personal identity, WeChat accounts, patient information and so forth.
China has also severely punished industrial “black sheep” responsible for leaking personal information in line with laws, while also cracking down on those who have procured personal information via illegal methods including fraud.
Toughened management on personal information crimes comes at a time when the country is beefing up efforts to protect individual information. In November 2021, the Personal Information Protection Law cameinto effect, which established a broader framework governing cybersecurity and data privacy protection in China complementing existing laws.
In particular, regulators also toughened security management for online platforms. Last year, multiple government departments sent officials to conduct a cybersecurity review of ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing, which had been removed from app stores for illegally collecting personal information following a public backlash.
Two Sessions Photo:Xinhua
