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Beijing Internet Court Publishes Personal Information Protection Cases

Wed, 18 Dec 2024
Categories: China Legal Trends

On 30 Oct. 2024, the Beijing Internet Court (BIC) released an overview of its handling of personal information protection cases over the past year, along with eight typical cases.

From October 2023 to October 2024, the BIC accepted 113 cases of personal information protection disputes and concluded 104 cases, showing a growing trend. In comparison, in the five years from 2018 to 2023, the BIC accepted 58 such cases, indicating a significant increase in the number of cases handled over the past year.

In terms of the infringers, internet companies were defendants in 95 cases, accounting for over 80%. Regarding the types of information involved, 81 cases (approximately 70%) concerned registration information such as names, ID numbers, and phone numbers, while 23 cases (about 20%) involved biometric data such as  facial recognition.

The primary types of infringement included the collection, disclosure, or provision of personal information without consent. For example, some offline retailers provided users’ transaction data to online mini-program operators without user consent. Additionally, some online platforms, as personal information processors, failed to fulfill their legal obligations to ensure user data security, resulting in information leaks, alterations, or misuse.

The BIC is responsible for centrally handling Internet-related personal information protection cases within Beijing that fall under the jurisdiction of primary people’s courts.

 

 

Photo by Nathan Cima on Unsplash

Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team

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