NOTE: This translation was originally published on the China Copyright and Media blog, a project of DigiChina’s Prof. Rogier Creemers of the University of Leiden. It has not been edited, double-checked, or standardized with DigiChina’s original content. Read more.

This translation was kindly provided by Paul Triolo

To safeguard personal information and important data security, to safeguard cyberspace sovereignty and national security, and social and public interests, and promote the orderly free flow of network information according to the law, according to the People’s Republic of China National Security Law, the People’s Republic of China Cybersecurity Law, and other laws and regulations , our office has worked with relevant departments and drafted the “Personal Information and Important Data Outbound Security Assessment Measures (draft)”, is now open to the public for comments.

Relevant units and people of all walks of life may submit their views by May 11, 2017, in the following manner:

First, through a letter to the views sent to: Beijing Dongcheng District Chaoyang Gate Street 225, the State Internet Information Office Cybersecurity Coordination Bureau, Zip code: 100010, and in the envelope marked “comments”.

Second, by e-mail to: security@cac.gov.cn.

State Internet Information Office

April 11, 2017

Annex

Personal Information and Important Data Outbound Security Assessment Measures (draft)

Article 1 These Measures have been drafted in order to protect the security of personal information and important data, safeguard cyberspace sovereignty and national security, and social and public interests, while protecting the legitimate interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, in accordance with the People’s Republic of China National Security Law, the People’s Republic of China Cybersecurity Law, and other laws and regulations.

Article 2 The personal information and important data collected and generated by network operators within the People’s Republic of China during operations shall be stored within the [national] territory. If the business requirements make it necessary to provide data outside of China, a security assessment shall be carried out in accordance with these Measures.

Article 3 The security assessment for outbound data shall follow the principle of impartiality, objectivity and validity, protect the security of personal information and important data, and promote the orderly and free flow of network information according to law.

Article 4 Where personal information leaves China’s borders, the purpose, scope, content, recipient and destination country of the data shall be explained to the subject of the personal information and agreed upon. Minors’ personal information is subject to the consent of their guardian.

Article 5 State cybersecurity and informatization departments shall coordinate the outbound data outbound security assessment work and guide the industry regulatory or supervisory departments in organizing the outbound data security assessment.

Article 6 Industry regulatory or supervisory departments shall be responsible for the security assessment of the industry outbound data and shall regularly organize the inspection of the specific industry outbound data.

Article 7 Network operators shall, before data leaves China’s borders, on their own initiative organize the conduct of a security assessment for outbound data and be responsible for the evaluation results.

Article 8 The outbound data security assessment shall focus on the following:

(A) the necessity of outbound data;

(B) the conditions touching on personal information, including the amount, scope, type, and sensitivity, and whether or not the subject of the personal information agrees that his/her personal information can leave China’s borders;

(C) the conditions touching on important data, including the amount, scope, type and sensitivity level of important data;

(D) the security protection measures and capability level of the data receiving party, and the cybersecurity environment in the country and region;

(E) risks such as disclosure, damage, tampering and abuse after the data leaves China’s borders and after re-transfer;

(F) the risks that may be brought to national security, social and public interests, and personal legitimate interests arising from the data leaving China’s borders and outbound data collection;

(G) other important matters that need to be assessed.

Article 9 If outbound data is stored in one of the following circumstances, network operators should report to the industry regulators or supervisory authorities and organize a security assessment:

(A) the [data set] contains or has accumulated personal information of more than 500,000 people;

(B) the amount of data is over 1000 GB;

(C) the data includes sector data on nuclear facilities, chemical and biological facilities, the national defense industry, or population health, large-scale engineering activities, the marine environment, and sensitive geographic information data;

(D) the data includes cybersecurity information including system vulnerabilities and security protection for critical information infrastructure;

(E) personal information and important data provided by critical information infrastructure operators to [parties] outside China;

(F) other data that could affect national security and social and public interests that industry regulators or supervisory departments consider should be assessed.

For areas where the is no clear industry regulator or supervisory department, an assessment shall be organized by national cybersecurity and informatization departments.

Article 10 The security assessment organized by industry regulatory or supervisory departments shall be completed within 60 working days, and feedback on the security assessment shall be provided to the network operator in a timely manner and reported to the national cybersecurity and informatization departments.

Article 11 In any of the following circumstances, data shall not be allowed to leave the country:

(A) personal information leaving China’s borders without the consent of the subject of the personal information, or that may be against the interests of the individual;

(B) there is a risk that the data leaving China’s borders could impact national politics, the economy, S&T, and national defense, and could affect national security and harm social and public interests;

(C) other data that national cybersecurity and informatization departments, public security departments, state security departments, and other relevant departments deem cannot leave China.

Article 12 Network operators should, according to business development and the network operation situation, annually conduct at least once a security assessment of outbound data, ad in a timely manner assess the situation and report to industry regulatory and supervisory departments.

When the data receiver changes, or there is a relatively large change in the destination, scope, quantity, type of data, etc., or a major security incident occurs with the data receiver or outbound data, a new security assessment should be conducted.

Article 13 Any individual or organization shall have the right to report to the relevant cybersecurity and informatization departments, public security department, and other relevant departments any violations of relevant laws and regulations and these Measures in terms of providing data outside of China’s borders.

Article 14 Whoever violates the provisions of these Measures shall be punished in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.

Article 15 Agreements between the Chinese government and other countries and regions on outbound data shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the agreement.

Data involving state secret information shall be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions.

Article 16 Security assessment work for the personal information and important data sent outside China’s borders that was collected and produced by other individuals and organizations within the territory of the People’s Republic of China shall be carried out in accordance with the present Measures.

Article 17 The definitions for the following terms used in the present Measures:

A network operator is the owner of a network, a manager, and a network service provider.

Outbound data refers to personal and important information co9llection and generated by network operators during operations within the territory of the People’s Republic of China, and provided to overseas institutions, organizations, or individuals.

Personal information refers to various types of information recorded by electronic or other means capable of identifying a person’s personal identity alone or in combination with other information, including but not limited to the name of the natural person, date of birth, identity document number, personal biometric information, telephone number and so on. Important data refers to data that is closely related to national security, economic development, and social and public interests, with specific reference to national relevant standards and important data identification guidelines.

Article 18 These Measures shall come into force on the day X of 2017.

Office of the Central Cybersecurity and Informatization Leading Small Group

(Cyberspace Administration of China)

Cybersecurity Coordination Bureau

国家互联网信息办公室关于《个人信息和重要数据出境安全评估办法（征求意见稿）》公开征求意见的通知

为保障个人信息和重要数据安全，维护网络空间主权和国家安全、社会公共利益，促进网络信息依法有序自由流动，依据《中华人民共和国国家安全法》《中华人民共和国网络安全法》等法律法规，我办会同相关部门起草了《个人信息和重要数据出境安全评估办法（征求意见稿）》，现向社会公开征求意见。有关单位和各界人士可以在2017年5月11日前，通过以下方式提出意见：

一、通过信函方式将意见寄至：北京市东城区朝阳门内大街225号国家互联网信息办公室网络安全协调局，邮编：100010，并在信封上注明“征求意见”。

二、通过电子邮件方式发送至：security@cac.gov.cn。

附件：个人信息和重要数据出境安全评估办法（征求意见稿）

国家互联网信息办公室

2017年4月11日

附件

个人信息和重要数据出境安全评估办法

（征求意见稿）

第一条 为保障个人信息和重要数据安全，维护网络空间主权和国家安全、社会公共利益，保护公民、法人和其他组织的合法利益，根据《中华人民共和国国家安全法》《中华人民共和国网络安全法》等法律法规，制定本办法。

第二条 网络运营者在中华人民共和国境内运营中收集和产生的个人信息和重要数据，应当在境内存储。因业务需要，确需向境外提供的，应当按照本办法进行安全评估。

第三条 数据出境安全评估应遵循公正、客观、有效的原则，保障个人信息和重要数据安全，促进网络信息依法有序自由流动。

第四条 个人信息出境，应向个人信息主体说明数据出境的目的、范围、内容、接收方及接收方所在的国家或地区，并经其同意。未成年人个人信息出境须经其监护人同意。

第五条 国家网信部门统筹协调数据出境安全评估工作，指导行业主管或监管部门组织开展数据出境安全评估。

第六条 行业主管或监管部门负责本行业数据出境安全评估工作，定期组织开展本行业数据出境安全检查。

第七条 网络运营者应在数据出境前，自行组织对数据出境进行安全评估，并对评估结果负责。

第八条 数据出境安全评估应重点评估以下内容：

（一）数据出境的必要性；

（二）涉及个人信息情况，包括个人信息的数量、范围、类型、敏感程度，以及个人信息主体是否同意其个人信息出境等；

（三）涉及重要数据情况，包括重要数据的数量、范围、类型及其敏感程度等；

（四）数据接收方的安全保护措施、能力和水平，以及所在国家和地区的网络安全环境等；

（五）数据出境及再转移后被泄露、毁损、篡改、滥用等风险；

（六）数据出境及出境数据汇聚可能对国家安全、社会公共利益、个人合法利益带来的风险；

（七）其他需要评估的重要事项。

第九条 出境数据存在以下情况之一的，网络运营者应报请行业主管或监管部门组织安全评估：

（一）含有或累计含有50万人以上的个人信息；

（二）数据量超过1000GB；

（三）包含核设施、化学生物、国防军工、人口健康等领域数据，大型工程活动、海洋环境以及敏感地理信息数据等；

（四）包含关键信息基础设施的系统漏洞、安全防护等网络安全信息；

（五）关键信息基础设施运营者向境外提供个人信息和重要数据；

（六）其他可能影响国家安全和社会公共利益，行业主管或监管部门认为应该评估。

行业主管或监管部门不明确的，由国家网信部门组织评估。

第十条 行业主管或监管部门组织的安全评估，应当于六十个工作日内完成，及时向网络运营者反馈安全评估情况，并报国家网信部门。

第十一条 存在以下情况之一的，数据不得出境：

（一）个人信息出境未经个人信息主体同意，或可能侵害个人利益；

（二）数据出境给国家政治、经济、科技、国防等安全带来风险，可能影响国家安全、损害社会公共利益；

（三）其他经国家网信部门、公安部门、安全部门等有关部门认定不能出境的。

第十二条 网络运营者应根据业务发展和网络运营情况，每年对数据出境至少进行一次安全评估，及时将评估情况报行业主管或监管部门。

当数据接收方出现变更，数据出境目的、范围、数量、类型等发生较大变化，数据接收方或出境数据发生重大安全事件时，应及时重新进行安全评估。

第十三条 对违反相关法律法规和本办法向境外提供数据的行为，任何个人和组织有权向国家网信部门、公安部门等有关部门举报。

第十四条 违反本办法规定的，依照有关法律法规进行处罚。

第十五条 我国政府与其他国家、地区签署的关于数据出境的协议，按照协议的规定执行。
涉及国家秘密信息的按照相关规定执行。

第十六条 其他个人和组织在中华人民共和国境内收集和产生的个人信息和重要数据出境的安全评估工作参照本办法执行。

第十七条 本办法下列用语的含义：

网络运营者，是指网络的所有者、管理者和网络服务提供者。

数据出境，是指网络运营者将在中华人民共和国境内运营中收集和产生的个人信息和重要数据，提供给位于境外的机构、组织、个人。

个人信息，是指以电子或者其他方式记录的能够单独或者与其他信息结合识别自然人个人身份的各种信息，包括但不限于自然人的姓名、出生日期、身份证件号码、个人生物识别信息、住址、电话号码等。

重要数据，是指与国家安全、经济发展，以及社会公共利益密切相关的数据，具体范围参照国家有关标准和重要数据识别指南。

第十八条 本办法自2017年 月 日起实施。