China tightens control over company data with transfer rules

Companies in China would need government approval to transfer important data abroad under proposed rules announced on Friday that would tighten Beijing’s control over information and might disrupt ope

Companies in China would need government approval to transfer important data abroad under proposed rules announced on Friday that would tighten Beijing’s control over information and might disrupt operations for international corporations.

The measure is needed to protect the Chinese public and “safeguard national security”, the Cyberspace Administration of China said.

President Xi Jinping’s government sees information about China’s 1.4 billion people as a potential security risk in private hands. It has issued a flurry of rules tightening control over how companies gather and handle information.