China rules to curb online personal rights violations

China's Supreme People's Court has issued new guidelines for the handling of cases connected to the violation of people's rights online.

The document also outlines potential liabilities for network service providers.

Under the new guidelines, the Chinese courts are now able to order online service providers to provide personal data of users suspected of committing rights violations.

Senior Supreme court judge Yao Hui says network service providers are also going to be held responsible for its users who violate people's rights.

"Rights violators usually hide in the dark online. They post harmful information out of the blue, and victims just can't be certain whom they should accuse when they want to bring the case to court. Network service providers should also be held accountable if they are aware that their users have committed online violations of personal rights but fail to take action."

He says the new guidelines also target those who repost harmful content.

"Their liability will be determined based on the consequences of their posts, the online influence of re-posters, and whether they make untruthful changes to content that mislead the public. For example, if you are a verified celebrity, your obligations when re-posting online information are greater than those of the general public. An ordinary person's errors when re-posting might only be deemed slight."

Supreme Court spokesperson Sun Jungong says the new document also includes provisions for the compensation of victims.

"Victims are allowed to file lawsuit only against network service providers or net users. And all expenses paid by victims to deter violators will be considered property losses in a case. When no specific property loss amount is available, the courts should determine compensation based on the details of the case, with a maximum limit of 500,000 yuan."

The Supreme People's Court says the new guidelines, which take effect today, are important for China to regulate online activities and maintain online order.

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