Personal data protection: rethinking the reasons, nature, and legal framework

• Author: Ding Xiaodong
• Pages: 70-79

FRONTIERS OF LAW IN CHINA

VOL. 13 SEPTEMBER 2018 NO. 3

DOI 10.3868/s050-007-018-0029-6

SPECIAL ISSUE

PARADIGMS OF INTERNET REGULATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND CHINA

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION: RETHINKING THE REASONS, NATURE, AND

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

DING Xiaodong∗

Abstract This paper rethinks the reasons for and the nature and means of personal data

protection. The reasons for personal data protection are that it could promote the fairness

and effectiveness of information flow, help individuals develop their independent

personality, and equip them to deal with risks. With respect to the nature of personal

data, this paper argues that such data should not be perceived from a purely

individualistic point of view. Rather, there should be a contextualized understanding of

the data, which considers the appropriate information flow of personal data within a

particular context. Regarding the legal framework of personal data protection, this paper

suggests that consumer protection law and public law are better equipped to protect

personal data than tort, contract, or property law.

Keywords privacy, data protection, context, information flow, individualism

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 380

I. WHY SHOULD WE PROTECT PERSONAL DATA?....................................................... 382

II. WHAT IS PERSONAL DATA ?.................................................................................... 384

III. HOW CAN WE PROTECT PERSONAL DATA?.......................................................... 386

CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................ 389

INTRODUCTION

With the advent of the information age, the protection of personal data has achieved a

consensus position. In the European Union (EU), the European Parliament and the

Council have passed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which aims to

return control to citizens and residents over their personal data and simplify the regulatory

environment for international business by unifying the regulations within the EU. In

China, the government is busy drafting a bill that would ensure comprehensive protection

∗ (󰌨) Ph.D. in law, Law School, Peking University, Beijing, China; J.S.D., Yale Law School, New

Haven, USA; Associate Professor, School of Law, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China.

Contact: dingruc@163.com