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Cybersecurity
TechPolicy

Tencent, Huawei, other major Shenzhen firms to bolster user data safeguards ahead of roll-out of new personal information law

  • More than 20 major Shenzhen-based companies, all of which operate popular apps, have pledged to boost their user data security
  • The commitment was made ahead of the implementation of China’s new Personal Information Protection Law on November 1

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Tencent Holdings, Huawei Technologies Co, Ping An Insurance and ZTE Corp are among more than 20 major Shenzhen-based app operators that have committed to strengthen their user data security in line with China’s new Personal Information Protection Law. Photo: AP
Jane Zhang
More than 20 major Shenzhen-based companies, including video gaming and social media giant Tencent Holdings and telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co, on Friday vowed to bolster user data safeguards ahead of the roll-out of China’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) on November 1.
The companies, all of which operate popular apps used by consumers and businesses, pledged to abide by 10 initiatives that promote the “healthy and sustainable development” of the internet industry at a conference on Friday, organised by authorities in the tech hub known as China’s Silicon Valley, according to a report by local newspaper Shenzhen Special Zone Daily.

These initiatives prohibit the unnecessary collection of personal information, abuse of facial recognition data, invading personal privacy and price discrimination based on big data analyses.

Tencent and Huawei did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

Other firms that made that commitment on Friday included Ping An Insurance, telecoms gear maker ZTE Corp and Huolala, the mainland Chinese operation of Hong Kong-based on-demand delivery and logistics services provider Lalamove.

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Friday’s conference, the organisers of which were led by the Shenzhen branches of the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Cyberspace Administration of China, reflects the strong effort being made by some of China’s major tech companies to comply with the PIPL, one of the world’s toughest on personal data security, which has been compared to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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