On August 20, 2021, the 30th session of the Standing Committee
of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) adopted
China's new PRC Personal Information Protection
Law (PIPL)1, which will take effect on
November 1, 2021. The new law lays out for the first time a
comprehensive set of rules around the collection, processing and
protection of personal data.
The PIPL incorporates certain well-recognized data protection
principles such as requiring processors to collect personal
information only to the minimum extent necessary and to obtain
informed consent from individuals prior to the collection or
transfer of personal information. In addition, the PIPL provides
for enhanced protection of "sensitive personal
information", which includes information relating to
biometrics, religious beliefs, medical and health, financial
accounts and location tracking. There are also more stringent
requirements, such as more comprehensive compliance systems and
enhanced transparency,