People illegally obtain celebrities' flight itineraries or identity card numbers and sell them to fans for profit. Photo: CCTV
 

 
Authorities in Shanghai have dealt with two cases of people illegally obtaining information about celebrities, with four defendants being sentenced for the crime of violating citizens' personal information, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday. 

The defendants in the two cases sold celebrities' flight information on online social media platforms at prices ranging from 5 yuan ($0.69) to 10 yuan each. The ID numbers of the celebrities were also sold. 

The information also included mobile phone numbers, said Zhang Lanyu, an assistant prosecutor at the People's Procuratorate of Jing'an District in Shanghai, according to the report. 

Police in Jing'an district discovered at the end of 2023 that someone was selling celebrities' flight itineraries and other personal information on social media platforms. After a series of investigations, the police subsequently arrested two people surnamed Yin and Wu in Shanghai in January 2024, and a couple surnamed Lian and Guo in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province. 

The police transferred the four defendants in the two cases to the Jing'an District People's Procuratorate in March for review and prosecution, according to CCTV. The case officers found that the defendants had sold a surprisingly wide range of ID numbers, flight itineraries, and other personal information.  

After judicial appraisal, Yin was found to have provided and sold more than 10,000 items of celebrity flight itinerary information, making more than 23,000 yuan in the process, while Wu sold over 2,000 such items and earned more than 7,000 yuan. Lian and Guo jointly sold more than 2,000 items including identity card numbers and flight information, earning more than 12,000 yuan.  

The four defendants were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment and fines for the offence of infringing on citizens' personal information, according to the report. 

The authorities also found that purchasing directly on the Internet and using airline loopholes to make enquiries were the main ways in which the defendants illegally obtained the flight information. 

A large number of sales and purchase messages about celebrity flight itineraries on internet platforms use cryptic text or symbols and icons for interaction, including using an airplane icon or the letters "hb" instead, which is a Chinese abbreviation for "hangban," meaning flight. 

A significant portion of the flight information was obtained by the defendants by using the purchased celebrity ID numbers to search directly on the airline websites. This system is intended to allow travelers to check their flight information, but has also been used by some unscrupulous elements, CCTV quoted prosecutor Zheng Yi as saying.  

Zheng added that many airlines have taken note of this issue and have made relevant adjustments and improvements to the management of such enquiry systems.  

Chinese table tennis player Fan Zhendong posted a message on Sina Weibo in March, saying that someone had used his identity card number to look up his mobile phone number for harassment and abuse. Some actors have had their personal information stolen and flights booked for no reason, and have had to change their mobile phone numbers, prompting many fans to call for rational support of celebrities in recent years. 

Prosecutors warned that the purchase of citizens' personal information is illegal, and China's Criminal Law provides for criminal liability for infringement of citizens' personal information. 

The public security organs are further investigating the related cases, according to the report.

Global Times