China launched a global data security initiative

Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced in Beijing a global data security initiative《全球数据安全倡议》 on Tuesday outlining principles that should be followed in areas from personal information to espionage.

China’s initiative has eight key points including not using technology to impair other countries’ critical infrastructure or steal data, and making sure service providers don’t install backdoors in their products and illegally obtain user data.

这一倡议的主要内容包括:

  一是客观理性看待数据安全,致力于维护全球供应链开放、安全和稳定。

  二是反对利用信息技术破坏他国关键基础设施或窃取重要数据。

  三是采取措施防范和制止侵害个人信息的行为,不得滥用信息技术对他国进行大规模监控,或非法采集他国公民个人信息。

  四是要求企业尊重当地法律,不得强制要求本国企业将境外产生、获取的数据存储在本国境内。

  五是尊重他国主权、司法管辖权和对数据的管理权,不得直接向企业或个人调取位于他国的数据。

  六是应通过司法协助等渠道解决执法跨境数据调取需求。

  七是信息技术产品和服务供应企业不应在产品和服务中设置后门,非法获取用户数据。

  八是信息技术企业不得利用用户对产品依赖,谋取不正当利益。

Wang also said the initiative looks to put an end to activities that “infringe upon personal information” and oppose using technology to conduct mass surveillance against other states.

Companies should also respect the laws of host countries and stop coercing domestic firms to store data generated overseas in their own territory, the initiative added.

Anyone signing up to the pledge should also respect the sovereignty, jurisdiction and governance of data of other states and avoid asking companies or individuals located in other countries to provide data without permission.