China’s Supreme Procuratorate releases cases on data privacy violations

The Supreme People's Procuratorate of China has published a series of representative legal cases detailing prosecutions for the illegal collection and sale of personal citizen data. The release coincides with the fifth anniversary of China’s Personal Information Protection Law, underscoring the authorities' intensified focus on digital privacy crimes.

The cases cover a wide spectrum of illicit activities, including "doxing"—the practice of digging up and publishing personal information to facilitate online harassment—and large-scale data breaches. According to the prosecution, criminals have utilized sophisticated supply chains, ranging from illicit data brokers operating via international networks to individuals exploiting their professional access, such as airline staff selling passenger flight details to fan groups.

In one prominent case, defendants breached government databases to steal millions of ID numbers, leading to severe harassment and negative health outcomes for the victims. Other cases involved the exploitation of elderly citizens through deceptive registration practices for healthcare services, resulting in the mass theft of biometric data.

By publicizing these cases, the Procuratorate aims to demonstrate a strict, full-chain approach to punishing such crimes. The authorities are emphasizing that beyond mere financial penalties, these illegal acts are increasingly met with significant custodial sentences to protect both individual privacy and broader social order.