China passed a new privacy bill to protect users' personal data, according to state media. This new law is being passed at a time when Chinese tech companies have been under increased scrutiny. It sets out rules for how companies handle information about users. The law will take effect on November 1.
According to Reuters, the Chinese legislature passed the Personal Information Protection Law on Friday. It requires companies to obtain users consent before collecting personal information. The law also contains rules that companies must follow in order for users data to be protected when it is transferred outside China. Companies that deal with personal data must designate a person to oversee its protection. In addition, companies must regularly audit their compliance with the law.
According to Reuters, companies that handle personal user data must also have a clear and reasonable reason for doing so and limit their use to the minimal extent necessary to reach the purposes of doing so.
The National Peoples Congress praised the new legislation in an opinion piece published by Peoples Court Daily, a Chinese state media outlet.
Personalization can only be achieved through a user's choice. True personalized recommendations should allow the user to make their own decision, and not be forced to. Users must have the option to refuse personalized recommendation functions.
