Protection of personal details

It is right to punish those who misuse the personal information of citizens, says an article in the Beijing News. The following is an excerpt:

The draft of the latest amendments to the Criminal Law, submitted to the Standing Committee of National People's Congress, clearly stipulates that government workers or workers in entities like finance, telecommunications, transportation, education and hospitals should be sentenced to as much as three years in prison or detained if they trade the personal information of citizens for profit or disclose it unlawfully to others or illegally obtain it by stealing or purchasing.

The amendments are in accordance with the realistic needs for social progress. In today's information age, personal information searches are becoming simple. Accordingly, some government bodies and companies are gathering more and more personal information about citizens for their management needs. It would be quite easy to lose control of it if no strict measures are put in place on its usage, storage and destruction.