New laws to protect personal information  

中国拟出新规保护个人信息 专家称刑责条款威慑强

中国工业和信息化部拟出台新规，保护电信和互联网用户的个人信息。中国人民大学法学院教授刘俊海11日接受中新社记者采访时表示，其中追究刑事责任的条文具有较强的威慑作用，有助于保护网民的隐私权，促进社会信用体系的建设。

Beijing (CNS) -- On Wednesday, China's watchdog for the telecom sector started soliciting public opinions on a new draft law to protect personal information.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published the new draft law on its website, which defined what is considered personal information, such as name, birthdate, identity card number, address and log-in information.

It also said selling or illegally providing personal information will be fined 10,000 yuan ($1,612) to 30,000 yuan. If a crime occurs, criminal liability shall be investigated according to law.

Liu Junhai, professor at the law school of Renmin University, said the move is a response to public concerns about personal information divulgence.

With a legally binding effect, the draft law can help protect people's privacy, he said.