China’s cybersecurity law to come into force from June 1

Beijing: Online service providers in China will be banned from collecting and selling users’ personal information from June 1.

The Internet service providers cannot collect user information that is irrelevant to the services, and they should handle such information in line with laws and agreements, according to the Cybersecurity Law adopted by China’s top legislature in November last year.

The Cybersecurity Law will be implemented from June 1.

Online service users will now have rights to ask service providers to delete their information if such information is abused, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

Cybersecurity management staff must also protect information obtained, and are banned from leaking or selling the information, including privacy and commercial secrets.

Those who violate the provisions and infringe on personal information will face hefty fines.

The new law said the government will take measures to “monitor, defend and handle cybersecurity risks and threats originating from within the country or overseas sources, protecting key information infrastructure from attack, intrusion, disturbance and damage”.

Efforts will also be made to punish criminal activities online and safeguard the order and security of cyberspace, it said. (PTI)