China is cracking down on doxing, by making it illegal for internet users to publish personal information about others without permission.
Doxing—a practice related to both activism and cyber-bullying—is an abbreviated term for 'document tracing.' It refers to the practice of gathering information about an individual or group from a variety of sources, including social media, internet databases, corporate information, and even hacking and social engineering, and publishing it on the net. The idea is usually public humiliation—but is often used as a form of protest in China, showcasing corruption or hypocrisy.
“In the internet age, the protection of personal information, especially electronic information, is facing more challenges,” the court said in a statement [courtesy of PC Week and Google Translate]. “The collection of personal information is practically happening everywhere.”
The Supreme People’s Court has now made such 'human flesh search engine' efforts subject to tort liability. Protected information includes data like medical histories, criminal records, home addresses and other private activities posted online. Already legally public information is excepted, as are efforts that are carried out to “promote social and public benefits.” The latter is a giant loophole that can be brought to bear for the state’s own purposes.
Other exceptions include efforts by schools, research institutions and others engaged in academic research or for statistical purposes, and if the information is not able to be linked back to a specific person.
“In recent years, the overall development of the internet industry has promoted the upgrading of traditional industries and allowed the rise of new industries, has enriched the people's material and cultural life, and promote China's profound impact on social production,” said the Court. “It also brought a series of legal issues. For example, network intellectual property protection, personal information protection, cybercrime and the infringement of personal rights and interests using information networks have become an urgent problem.”