Penalty tougher on informational leaks

A JUDICIAL INTERPRETATION jointly issued by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on the management of people's personal information comes into effect on Thursday. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

The document comes at a time when information sharks keep playing hide-and-seek with regulators. Although many have become cautious while offering their personal information including ID and cellphone numbers to strangers, there is no guarantee that they are immune to information leaks.

In some cases, it is "unlikely places" - banks, service stations, supermarkets - where people lower their guard and fall prey to information thieves. Not least because a sophisticated underground network of information exchanges has taken shape, and anyone may be involved.