On 21 October 2020, the Personal Information Protection Law (Draft) (“Draft”) was finally unveiled to the public. By comprehensively deepening China’s personal information protection system, the Draft strengthens the protection of personal information while taking into account the complexity of economic and social life. The release of the nearly 8,000-character Draft marks China’s first attempt to systematically and legislatively define, establish, and integrate the provisions on the protection and regulation of personal information. The Draft not only incorporates China’s legislative, regulatory and practical achievements regarding data security in recent years, including the PRC Cybersecurity Law (“Cybersecurity Law”), but also learns from the varied legislative experience of the other jurisdictions in data protection such as the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).
