China’s new Personal Information Protection Law represents an important first step toward protecting the privacy of Chinese citizens, and it will undoubtedly increase the compliance burden for major tech firms. But the PIPL may turn out to be far weaker than it appears.
HONG KONG – China has just passed a major data-privacy law. Inspired by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, China’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) comprises a far-reaching set of rules governing how tech companies handle user data. And, on the surface, it seems pretty tough: in fact, The Wall Street Journal hailed the PIPL as “one of the world’s strictest data-privacy laws.” But it will probably do less to protect Chinese users than many believe, and it might even entrench further the dominance of China’s incumbent tech giants.
HONG KONG – China has just passed a major data-privacy law. Inspired by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, China’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) comprises a far-reaching set of rules governing how tech companies handle user data. And, on the surface, it seems pretty tough: in fact, The Wall Street Journal hailed the PIPL as “one of the world’s strictest data-privacy laws.” But it will probably do less to protect Chinese users than many believe, and it might even entrench further the dominance of China’s incumbent tech giants.