China Officially Ties Internet Restrictions to its own National Security

Today China began enforcing its controversial new Cybersecurity Law, which broadly demands that multinational companies make data accessible to the Chinese government while strengthening the regime’s control over content found inappropriate. Such measures have been made under the auspices of bolstering Chinese national security, but could have profoundly negative impacts on the free flow of information and commerce. For a better understanding of what the law entails, and its potential impact on political speech and the economic competitiveness of foreign companies within China, revisit The Cipher Brief’s analysis from December.

China’s new Cybersecurity Law, which received parliamentary approval in November and will go into effect in June of 2017, is not necessarily novel. The law essentially requires tech companies operating in China to retain consumer data and provide the state access, while also filtering content deemed illegal. Much like in other countries, China says it wishes to use data to secure the state against terrorist threats and the cyber breaches that plague all modern institutions, both public and private.

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