This knowledge base entry, first compiled on the eve of the Personal Information Protection Law's implementation, provides links to the wide range of translations and analysis DigiChina has produced on the subject throughout the legislative history of China's primary data privacy law.

DigiChina translations

• Personal Information Protection Law
  • Final text: Personal Information Protection Law
    • Passed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Aug. 20, 2021
    • Effective Nov. 1, 2021
  • Second Review Draft – April 2021
    • Read DigiChina analysis of this draft.
  • First Public Draft – October 2020
  • Expert Suggestion Draft – October 2019
    • By scholars Zhang Xinbao and Ge Xin, published by Renmin University. Not one of the official National People’s Congress drafts, but indicative of policy debates leading up to the official process.
• Related policies
  • Outbound Data Transfer Security Assessment Measures (Draft for Comment) – Oct. 2021
  • Internet Information Service Algorithmic Recommendation Management Provisions (Draft for Comment) – Aug. 2021
    • Read analysis of this draft by Helen Toner, Paul Triolo, and Rogier Creemers.
  • Personal Information Outbound Transfer Security Assessment Measures (Draft for Comment) – June 2019
    • Read analysis of this draft by Samm Sacks and Graham Webster.
  • Personal Information Security Specification
    • Official English-language version of the 2020 version.
    • DigiChina translation of the version effective May 2018.
  • Security Impact Assessment Guide of Personal Information (excerpts) – June 2018

DigiChina analysis

• Lee, Alexa et al., “Seven Major Changes in China’s Finalized Personal Information Protection Law,” Sept. 15, 2021.
• Huang, Yehan and Mingli Shi, “Top Scholar Zhou Hanhua Illuminates 15+ Years of History Behind China’s Personal Information Protection Law,” June 8, 2021.
  • In-depth interview with the vice president of the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
• Three-part series analyzing the first NPC draft:
  • Horsley, Jamie P., “How will China’s privacy law apply to the Chinese state?” Jan. 26, 2021
  • Lee, Alexa, “Personal Data, Global Effects: China’s Draft Privacy Law in the International Context,” Jan. 4, 2021.
  • Shi, Mingli, “China’s Draft Privacy Law Both Builds On and Complicates Its Data Governance,” Dec. 14, 2020
• Creemers, Rogier and Graham Webster, “Chinese Scholar Lu Chuanying on the Stakes for New ‘Personal Information’ and ‘Data Security’ Laws (Translation),” May 28, 2020.
• Sacks, Samm, Mingli Shi, and Graham Webster, “The Evolution of China’s Data Governance Regime: A Timeline,” Feb. 8. 2019.

Other resources

• NPC Observer entry
• China Law Translate translation of the final Personal Information Protection Law text