China Issues New Regulation Easing Cross-Border Data Transfers

On 22 March 2024, the Cyberspace Administration of China ("CAC") issued the long-awaited Provisions on Facilitating and Regulating Cross-Border Data Transfer ("Regulation"), effective as of the same date. The CAC simultaneously updated the Guidelines to Applications for Security Assessment of Outbound Data Transfers and the Guidelines for Filing the Standard Contract for Outbound Cross-Border Transfer of Personal Information to harmonize the current rules for cross-border data transfers. The Regulation benefits many multinational companies as they transfer personal information ("PI") and other data out of China. The substance of the Regulation consists in exceptions to the requirements, such as "security assessments" and "standard contracts", set out by pre-existing laws and regulations for outbound cross-border data transfers ("Data Export").