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Privacy Pulse
Notable privacy and internet-freedom events from the past four years, most recent first. Tap any entry for more.
Provincial Firewall Outblocks the Great Firewall
Researchers documented an autonomous provincial censorship system in Henan that blocked a cumulative 4.2 million domains - more than five times the national Great Firewall's blocklist, and ten times as many at peak - the first confirmed case of a Chinese province running its own firewall behind the national one.
China-linked Hackers Breach US Treasury
The US Treasury Department disclosed that Chinese state-sponsored actors had breached its systems via compromised BeyondTrust software, accessing unclassified documents in what officials called a 'major incident.'
Satellite Internet Censorship Proposed
The Cyberspace Administration of China issued draft rules requiring real-time content censorship from satellite internet providers operating in mainland China.
China Rolls Out 'Cyberspace ID' Pilot
China's Ministry of Public Security and CAC launched a pilot of a unified 'Cyberspace ID' system allowing citizens to authenticate across platforms via a government-issued digital identity, drawing privacy concerns.
Apple Removes Encrypted Messengers from China App Store
Apple removed WhatsApp, Signal, Threads, and Telegram from the Chinese App Store at the demand of the Cyberspace Administration of China, citing national security concerns.
China Expands Real-Name Requirements for Social Media Influencers
Chinese platforms began requiring influencers with large followings to display their real names publicly, deepening the state's identification and control over online speech.
China Enacts Generative AI Regulation
The Cyberspace Administration of China and six other agencies issued interim measures on generative AI, effective 15 August 2023, requiring providers to align output with 'core socialist values' and to complete a security assessment before offering services with public-opinion or social-mobilization capacity.
China Passes Counter-Espionage Law Update
China's revised counter-espionage law took effect, broadly expanding the definition of espionage to include 'all documents, data, materials, and items' related to national security, raising risks for foreign businesses and researchers.
Cyberspace Administration Fines Didi $1.2 Billion
Chinese regulators fined ride-hailing company Didi Global 8.026 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) for violating cybersecurity, data security, and personal information protection laws.
Shanghai Police Database Breach Exposes 1 Billion Records
A hacker offered for sale what was claimed to be the personal data of 1 billion Chinese citizens from a Shanghai police database, in what researchers called one of the largest breaches ever.
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