China issues draft Personal Information Protection Law for consultation

November 2020

On 21 October 2020, China’s top legislative body issued the draft Personal Information Protection Law (“Draft PIPL”) for public consultation. This indicates a major step towards finalising China’s national data law.

The Draft PIPL lays down significant new obligations in relation to collection, use, processing and transfer of personal information. The PIPL, together with the China Cybersecurity Law and the Data Security Law (the draft of which was issued for public consultation earlier in 2020) will constitute the cornerstones for building up China’s legal regime for data sovereignty, personal data protection and cybersecurity. If enacted, the PIPL will become China’s most comprehensive data law and will have a far-reaching impact on businesses in China as well as outside China.

This briefing highlights the key provisions of the Draft PIPL and discusses the significant implications the PIPL may have for businesses.