China moves closer to adopting controversial cybersecurity law
China moves closer to adopting controversial
cybersecurity law
June 27, 2016
BEIJING (Reuters) - China moved closer on Monday to
adopting a controversial cybersecurity law, after parliament held a second
reading of the draft rules, which carry significant consequences for domestic
and foreign business and threaten greater censorship.
China enforces widespread controls over the internet that
it has sought to codify in law, and Chinese laws often go through multiple
readings and drafts before they are adopted.
The draft, presented before the standing committee of the
National People's Congress, requires network operators to comply with social
morals and accept the supervision of the government and public, official news
agency Xinhua said.
It also reiterated that Chinese citizens' personal data,
as well as "important business data" must be stored domestically,
adding that those wishing to provide that information overseas faced a
government security evaluation.
Parliament has not yet published the full second draft of
the cybersecurity law and it is not clear when it may be passed.
Cybersecurity has been a particularly irksome area in
China's relations with economic partners such as the United States and the
European Union, which see many recently proposed rules as unfair to foreign
firms.
Chinese officials say internet restrictions, including
the blocking of popular foreign sites like Google and Facebook, are needed to
ensure security against growing threats, such as terrorism.
The first draft of the cybersecurity law, published
almost a year ago, stiffened user privacy protection from hackers and data
resellers but also boosted the government's powers to access and block
dissemination of private information records that Chinese law deems illegal.
China's broadly-defined regulations have been a source of
concern, especially for foreign governments, multinational companies and rights
activists, which worry that the government can interpret the law as it sees
fit.
Chinese companies have also been on the receiving end of
government efforts to tighten control of the internet.
Regulators last month set limits on the number of
lucrative healthcare advertisements carried by Baidu Inc after a student died
following an experimental cancer treatment he uncovered by using China's
biggest internet search engine.
(Reporting by Paul Carsten and Michael Martina; Editing
by Clarence Fernandez)
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