China adopts new data privacy law

China’s National People’s Congress approved the law last week, according to a report from Chinese state media outlet Xinhua.

According to the report, the law stipulates that ‘individual consent’ should be obtained when processing sensitive information about people, including biometrics, medical and health, financial accounts or their location.

It will mean that companies processing personal data for marketing purposes should offer options that don't involve targeting individuals’ personal characteristics, or allow people to reject targeted marketing.

The National People’s Congress also published an opinion piece from state media outlet People’s Court Daily. It called for entities that use algorithms for "personalised decision making" to first obtain user consent, according to Reuters.