Cybersecurity review on CNKI underway

The top national cyberspace regulator is conducing a security review of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the country's largest online academic database, in a bid to prevent risks to national data security and protect public interests.

The Cyberspace Administration of China's Security Review Office announced the move on Friday, adding that it is in line with the National Security Law, Cybersecurity Law, Data Security Law and security review regulations.

The CNKI holds large amounts of personal information and important data on key areas like telecommunication, transportation and healthcare.

In May, the State Administration for Market Regulation also investigated the pay-to-read database for suspected monopoly.

In April, the CNKI came under scrutiny after a library of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that it would stop using the service due to its high subscription fees.

At the time, a screenshot circulating online suggested that CAS's National Science Library had held discussions with the CNKI but the database insisted on maintaining its annual subscription fee of 10 million yuan ($1.6 million).