China Cybersecurity Law Continues To Bring Enforcement Crackdown

In Short

The Situation: In the two years since China enacted the Cybersecurity Law, which granted authorities broad powers to monitor and investigate activities falling under its purview, authorities have increasingly penalized violators for not complying with the Law's data privacy provisions.

The Result: Since the Cybersecurity Law came into effect in June 2017, numerous instances of zealous enforcement have been reported. Chinese law enforcement has used related laws and regulations to crackdown on offenses relating to national security and public order. It has also devoted significant efforts to penalize companies for data privacy violations under the Cybersecurity Law.

Looking Ahead: Companies can expect enforcement actions to continue. They should regularly and thoroughly review their data privacy policies and implementation procedures to ensure they are in compliance.