Data privacy: China defines for the first time ‘necessary’ information that apps can collect, closing ‘bundled consent’ loophole

Users of livestreaming, short video, news, browser and utility apps can access basic services on these platforms without providing personal information. The new rules come as China seeks to expand the internet industry’s role in economic growth, while providing more protection for consumers’ personal data. — SCMP

The Chinese government has issued new rules that define for the first time the “necessary” personal information that mobile apps can obtain from their users, as Beijing intensifies its campaign against unauthorised data collection by Big Tech to further control the country’s digital economy.

Apps can collect necessary personal information from users that allows them to access basic functions and services, while users can decline to provide data outside what is deemed necessary and continue to use certain apps without obstruction, according to the new rules jointly released on Monday by agencies that include the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).