Photo: VCG

China's cybersecurity authority on Tuesday publicized ten typical cases in its crackdown on crimes involving the infringement of citizens' personal information. Among them was a case in which a criminal gang illicitly obtained highly sensitive data, including hotel check-in records, and sold the information at inflated prices to lawyers and private investigators. The suspects were subjected to criminal coercive measures.

Released via the official WeChat account of the cyberspace authority under China's Ministry of Public Security, the cases involve various forms of illegal infringement of citizens' personal-information. For instance, several of the cases involve illegal investigation operations conducted under the guise of "private detective" services.

In one case, a "legal consultancy" studio established by two men and their associates illegally obtained highly sensitive personal information, including hotel check-in records, vehicle records and travel trajectories, through overseas social platforms. Operating under the pretext of "legal support" and "investigative assistance," they then promoted their services online to generate leads and sold the information at premium rates to lawyers, private investigators, and information brokers.

These clients used the data to gain undue advantages in divorce proceedings, debt collection, and commercial disputes. Investigations revealed that the gang had illegally obtained over 100,000 pieces of citizens' personal information, involving illicit proceeds of more than one million yuan ($148,000). 

To date, all ten suspects in this case have been placed under criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law, the authority said.

Another criminal ring led by a 34yearold man surnamed Wu advertised a full range of private investigation services on social media. Apart from illegally obtaining targets' travel trajectories and hotel checkin records, it also hired operatives to conduct illegal activities including GPS tracking, physical surveillance, covert filming and audio recording.

This operation formed a clearly divided and well-concealed illicit industrial chain combining online data retrieval and offline tracking, and provided illegal personal-information services to 12 individuals, generating over one million yuan in illegal proceeds. Currently, the six suspects in this case have been transferred for prosecution.

Other offences featured in the cases include schemes that coerce merchants into handing over buyers' personal information in exchange for boosted online ratings.

A criminal syndicate headed by a 36yearold man surnamed Dong deployed shared power banks to budget motels free of charge and offered revenue shares to secure partnerships. In return, the gang required that the motels illegally supply guests' personal details such as names and checkin times in exchange for services including manufactured positive reviews and removal of negative feedback.

The group also manipulated ratings across multiple internet platforms via followup phone calls and illicit plugins for illegal profits. It unlawfully gathered over one million pieces of citizens' personal information and tampered with more than 100,000 online reviews, with illicit turnover topping 11 million yuan. The 33 involved suspects have been formally indicted.

Other disclosed cases of personal-information infringement involved schools, education and training institutions, and ophthalmic hospitals. Suspects involved in the cases have either been subject to coercive measures or prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Global Times