China's cyber controls will intensify this year
Subject Internet control in China. Significance The Cybersecurity Law, passed in November 2016, will take effect on June 1 this year. Since the law's passage, other policy moves have strengthened state control over cyberspace ahead of a five-yearly Communist Party Congress and leadership reshuffle later this year. The Party apparatus is committed to creating a ‘harmonious’ media environment in a politically sensitive period. Impacts Online fraud, especially in P2P finance, will remain the most high-profile cybercrime. Online theft of personal or institutional information will rise as a law-enforcement priority. Guidelines for data extraction by law enforcement agencies, hinted at after the Cybersecurity Law passed, are unlikely to be prioritised. Cybersecurity reviews may become a trade dispute issue, adding to tensions with the US administration. Streaming and webcast sites will be stifled by an unfolding dual-registration system.