On November 7, 2016, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) voted to pass the Cyber Security Law (unofficial English translation). Its draft has gone through three rounds of readings and it will become effective from June 1, 2017. This legislation provides for the Chinese government’s supervisory jurisdiction over cyberspace, defines security obligations for network operators and enhances the protection over personal information. It also establishes a regulation regime in respect of critical information infrastructure and imposes data localization requirements for certain industries.

In this post, we outline the key changes it will bring about and discuss the implications for businesses in China.