Be cautious about what you share online, court says as personal data disputes rise

The Beijing Internet Court has seen a sharp rise in personal information protection cases over the past year, with disputes involving artificial intelligence technology becoming increasingly prominent, officials said on Wednesday.

The court has handled 113 personal data lawsuits since October last year — nearly double the total number of cases from 2018 to last year, which stood at 58, according to data released by the court.

Zhao Ruigang, the court's vice-president, noted this steady increase in data protection disputes, with more than 84 percent of recent cases involving internet companies, particularly in e-commerce, social media and finance. Key data breaches in these cases included names, phone numbers, ID numbers and records related to consumer habits and medical history.