CRI听力:Anger Over Viral Video Raises Questions on Privacy Protection in China

In the online video posted on Sunday, the driver of a black sedan repeatedly slaps and verbally insults an express courier after their vehicles collided in a residential parking lot.

The incident took place in Beijing's Chaoyang District on Sunday.

The attacker, surnamed Li, has since apologized and is now serving 10-days detention.

The delivery company that employs the victim says its provided medical care to its employee and may pursue further legal actions against the driver of the sedan.

The video has been gaining a lot of traction in China, with many denouncing the violent behavior of the attacker.

Even Shi Weixing, who initially posted the video on his Weibo account, says he is surprised by how quickly the post is being viewed.

"I initially saw the video in a private chat group on my Wechat account, and I posted it on Weibo on Sunday afternoon. From there, numerous journalists began to repost it. The number of viewers exploded just two hours after my original post, which now has over 20 million views. Some have even conducted their own cyber manhunt, revealing the identity of the attacker."

The attackers vehicle license plate number, his cell phone number and his residential registration form have all been posted online by social media users.

Reporter Zhang Yao with the Beijing Evening News, which has been covering the incident closely, says the attacker began getting crank calls to his mobile phone shortly after the video went live.

"Mr. Li became aware of the online video, as it became widely circulated on the day of the incident. As he and his family were dealing with the aftermath of the earlier events, he began to receive numerous calls from strangers on his cell phone. His phone would ring, he'd pick up, and there would be silence on the other side. The caller would then hang up. He received about 100 such calls within an hour."

Many reporters and citizens have also tried to confront the attacker at the address posted online which is contained on his residential registration forum.

The problem is, that form was old.

He sold that apartment to another family a few weeks before, which has created a major headache for the new owner of the property.

"I bought this apartment in March, and the previous owner, the attacker in the video, has not lived here for a long time. Since the incident, many journalists have arrived at my door to ask for an interview. There has also been hate mail and packages containing things meant for funerals and burials. I am fearful that my family is going to keep being harassed. I'm lso angry that someone could be so irresponsible as to make public the address without finding out its current status. I have notified the police, but they say there is little they can do."

Law professor Yang Weidong with the Chinese Academy of Governance says Chinese lawmakers are starting to address cyber privacy invasions.

"In 2014, the Supreme People's Court issued a judicial interpretation regarding online privacy protection. It said when Internet users or Internet service providers violate personal privacy by publishing people's personal details, they can be punishable under civil laws. In 2013, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate also listed severe Internet based personal attacks or insults as criminal acts. "

Those rules were brought in during a spike in internet users in China forwarding fake or exaggerated rumors through social networking sites such as Weibo and WeChat.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.