Cyber security. Photo: IC

Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province is set to implement strict personal data protection steps including limit the use of face recognition and banning discriminatory pricing to different customers basing on private data analysis. 

The regulation was published on the official website of Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress on Tuesday and will be formally implemented from January 1, 2021, which will address various problems in personal big data area. The regulation was the country's first comprehensive effort to address the growing importance in the area.

The regulation stated clear requirements targeting mobile apps of personal data protection including banning the freely use of face recognition and other personal data, discriminatory pricing to different customers after big data analysis and not allowing users to access mobile apps without getting full authorization to collect their personal data. 

The regulation requested that mobile apps cannot refuse to offer core services to users who don't agree to provide their personal data. In addition, mobile apps have to follow the principle of "inform and consent," that is, personal data processers must handle collected data with clear and reasonable purposes, and must collect personal data by means without any misleading and fraud, and not forcibly. 

On the premise of personal data protection, the regulation addressed the related rules for fair market competition. Internet companies who seriously violated rules, such as offering different product prices to different customers after big data analysis, will be fined at most five percent of their annual revenue, capped with 50 million yuan ($7.74 million). 

China now has 900 million of internet users and millions of mobile apps in the market. The issuance of the regulation is beneficial for the market development and supervision. Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress also vowed to stimulate the open up of personal big data base to public for positive usages. 

Global Times