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The GDPR’s Effects in China: Comparison with Local Rules and Considerations for Implementation

As Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) takes effect, companies around the world are racing to implement compliance measures. In parallel with the GDPR’s development, China’s new data protection framework has emerged over the past year and is in the final stages of implementing the remaining details. With similar and often overlapping obligations, full compliance with the GDPR and China’s data protection framework presents a significant new challenge for companies with operations in China.

Does the GDPR Apply to Companies in China?

The GDPR applies to the processing of personal data of people who are in the European Union, even for a controller or processor in China, where the processing of the data is related to:

  • The offering of goods or services to the data subjects in the European Union, regardless of whether a payment is required; or
  • The monitoring of people’s behavior in the European Union.

As a result, even if a Chinese company does not have any formal establishments in the European Union, the GDPR will nonetheless apply if it is conducting either of these two types of activities.

What Are the Requirements for Companies in China Subject to the GDPR?

The GDPR primarily focuses on two categories of entities: “controllers” and “processors.” These two types are similar to concepts in the Chinese rules.  “Controllers” are entities that, alone or jointly with others, determine the purposes and means of the processing of personal data. “Processors” are entities that carry out the processing of personal data on behalf of the controllers.

Key requirements for most controllers under the GDPR: (more…)




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Transferring Data from China: Who Must First Pass a Pre-Export Security Assessment?

China’s new data protection framework clearly creates a requirement for local storage and conducting a security assessment before personal information or important data is shared with other jurisdictions, but it is currently much less clear what types of entities fall under this requirement.

Localization and Transfer Assessment Requirements Related to CII Operators

Under the People’s Republic of China Network Security Law, also known as the Cybersecurity Law, personal information and important data collected and generated in the operation of critical information infrastructure operators (CII operators) is required to be stored in China and, before providing that information abroad, a security assessment is required to be passed. This new requirement caused a significant amount of concern for entities that fall within the category of CII operators because of the need to potentially restructure their data systems, but there was also a general appearance of acceptance within the business community due to the relatively targeted scope of the definition of CII operators and acknowledgement that critical infrastructures require elevated protections. (more…)




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