Personal data needs to be protected

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is soliciting public opinion on a draft regulation that aims to enhance the protection of personal data.

Telecom operators and Internet service providers that collect and use personal data without consent will face a fine of up to 30,000 yuan ($4,843).

However, an article in Guangzhou Daily (excerpts below) said that this would not act as real deterrent.

The leakage of personal data, resulting in spam and marketing calls, can severely disturb daily life.

Recently, 23 public security authorities at provincial and municipal level launched a crackdown against 263 gangs that had illegally obtained more than 1 billion pieces of private information, including details about household registration, property and even hotel bookings. This indicates that the collection, unauthorized use and leakage of personal data exists on an industrialized scale.

The ministry's latest move is expected to act as a deterrent, but the punishment is relatively mild and in many cases falls short of the unlawful gains.

Singapore's parliament passed a bill last year to protect personal information. This bill imposes fines of up to S$1 million ($807,330) for every offense and penalties of S$10,000 for every unsolicited marketing call or message to a phone number registered by customers under the "Do Not Call" category.

Fines will not be an effective deterrent against unauthorized collection, use and disclosure of private data, unless they reach a certain level.