Draft law proposes banning big data-enabled price discrimination

BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A draft law submitted to China's top legislature for review has proposed to make provisions against big data-enabled price discrimination against existing customers.

The draft law on the protection of personal information was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for its third reading on Tuesday.

The draft stipulates that automated decision-making using personal information should not unfairly treat individuals in terms of transaction price and other trade conditions.

When pushing information and business marketing to individuals through automated decision-making, personal information processors should provide options that don't target personal characteristics at the same time, or offer ways of rejection, according to the draft.

Marking distinctions between large-scale internet platforms and small personal information processors, the draft stipulates that the former should formulate their own rules on personal information protection following the principles of openness, fairness and justice.

It also authorizes cyberspace authorities to formulate relevant rules for small personal information processors.