个人信息保护指引即将发布

China will release guidelines this year instructing businesses to collect personal information only when absolutely necessary and delete it immediately after use.

The non-binding guidelines, designed to protect online personal data, are pending final approval by the State Council.

Zhou Hanhua is a researcher at the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and one of the drafters of the guidelines. He says the move is a very commendable attempt to protect private information.

"The draft borrows ideas from the whole package of global personal information protection methods. It offers a definition of personal data and a complete process, including data collection, use, protection, exchange and deletion."

Mei Shaozu, a professor at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, agrees, but worries that the draft has less power to regulate personal data abuse.

"The draft offers a standard to personal data collectors, but it's not binding, and it lacks punitive measures."

Professor Mei hopes the guidelines can pave the way for a comprehensive law to be adopted to protect personal information.

China's internet population stands at 513 million—the largest in the world—and data abuse has become a serious problem. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, about 60 percent of Chinese internet users have experienced online data theft.

Zhou Hanhua suggests that China learn from the western countries when it comes to protecting privacy.

"It is a trend in the world to severely punish those who leak private information. For instance, the EU is discussing a draft according to which the violator has to pay a fine equal to 5 percent of his company's sales volume in the previous year."

China and the rest of the world have entered the Big Data Era where the exchange of data is absolutely inevitable and necessary. In fact, it is the fast flow of information that brings business opportunities and prosperity. Professor Zhou says excessive legal sanctions may lead to cost increases in electronic commerce, so he suggests that government departments make an effort to raise awareness.

"The government departments should encourage the companies to discipline themselves, shoulder more social responsibilities and protect personal data voluntarily."

For CRI, I'm Wang Xiao.