China: Adopted Cybersecurity Law including data protection provisions

On 7 November 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China adopted the Cybersecurity Law, which includes data protection provisions. The law requires network operators to maintain strict confidentiality of collected user information, implement user information protection systems, limit their collection and use of personal information to the principles of necessity, propriety, and legality, and publish rules detailing their purposes and procedures for collecting data. The law also forbids network operators from disclosing, tampering with, or destroying collected personal information. The law gives individuals the right to demand the deletion of personal information if a network operator violates privacy laws, and a right to demand correction where the stored information contains errors. The Cybersecurity Law will enter into effect on 1 June 2017.