Features of Personal Data and Big Data Legal Regime in the People's Republic of China (PRC)

   China’s legal approaches to the protection, use, and processing of personal data and big data deserve special attention in the context of comparative research given the country’s rapid technological development, the evolution of digital and economic relations, and the active development of foreign economic activity by Chinese companies in international markets for goods and services. The country is developing a system of legal regulation for the protection of personal data through special regulations based on rules enshrined in regulatory legal acts at various levels. The personal data protection system is built on the Cybersecurity Law (CSL) of 2017, the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) of 2021 and the Data Security Law (DSL) of 2021. This foundation demonstrates the Chana’s comprehensive and multi-facet approach to the protection and use of data in relation to different entities and areas of public relations, as well as the forms of their implementation. Since the personal data protection system is still evolving and new regulations in this area are expected to appear in Chinese law, accompanying the basic PIPL and DSL laws, it is advisable to continuously monitor the legal environment for data protection in the PRC. The extraterritorial nature of Chinese legislation in the area of personal data protection also deserves special attention. Big data, in today’s environment, is a crucial tool for implementing export-import relations. It has the potential to conduct in-depth research into commodity markets, export and import structures in various jurisdictions, and facilitate international trade compliance in general.

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