Draft law to safeguard personal information

New technologies and applications for handling personal information are expected to be regulated by a draft law to further protect people's rights in cyberspace, a legislator said on Friday.

The draft law on personal information protection will be submitted to a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for a third review this week, said Zang Tiewei, a member of the committee's Legislative Affairs Commission.

"The draft includes some rules on new technologies and applications that use individuals' personal data to automatically provide services or products, as they have created problems for people," he said.

The rules target technology and apps offering services or products after using automated programs to analyze individuals' behavior, hobbies or their income, health and credit.

Zang highlighted the principle in the draft that individuals and organizations handling personal information should fully inform the owners of such data and get their permission before collecting, storing or using it, adding that "those using automated programs also need to follow the rules".

In addition, the draft has identified personal data of people under age 14 as sensitive information, requiring personal information handlers to take this into consideration when collecting, storing or using it. Information related to ethnicity, religion, biological features, financial accounts and whereabouts had already been designated as sensitive data and should be handled more strictly.

According to its proposed agenda, the NPC Standing Committee's session will run from Tuesday to Friday, during which time lawmakers will also review draft laws related to other issues, including supervision, legal aid, physicians, organized crime, family education and land borders.

They will also read draft revisions of the Military Service Law, the Law on Scientific and Technological Progress, the Law on the Prevention and Control of Noise Pollution, the Seed Law and the Population and Family Planning Law.

Lawmakers will also deliberate on a draft decision to include more national laws in the list of laws in Annex III to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and a similar one concerning Annex III to the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Other documents, including reports on the implementation of the national socioeconomic development plan and this year's budget will also be submitted to the top legislature for review.