The New PRC Cyber Security Law - 5 Key Questions

On 7 November 2016, the Cybersecurity Law of the People's Republic of China (the Cybersecurity Law or the Law) was enacted and was widely heralded as the first comprehensive law dealing specifically and exclusively with cybersecurity issues in China.

Introduction

The Law, which will take effect from 1 June 2017, was passed to promote two key objectives – (1) protect the state against cybersecurity attacks, and (2) protect the rights and interests of citizens from cybersecurity attacks and the misuse of personal information.

The new Law has received a significant amount of publicity since it was published but perhaps is not widely understood outside legal and academic circles.  In this article, we endeavour to shed some light on the Cybersecurity Law by answering 5 key questions about the Law and its likely impact on doing business in China.