China has moved to water down some of its tough cross-border data controls amid complaints from foreign businesses and a teetering economy, reports the Financial Times. The Cyberspace Administration of China unveiled rules on Thursday evening which look to clarify and simplify the transfer of data out of the country for ordinary business activities.
Beijing’s move to walk back part of its burdensome regime comes amid efforts to reassure foreign businesses concerned about deteriorating US-China relations and the creeping influence of its own security apparatus. Under the security rules in place, CAC has been reviewing reams of data export submissions from foreign groups wanting to share “important data” abroad.
However, the rules “created an untenable situation, with people unsure if they should apply for the data reviews and unsure on what counted as important data,” said Graham Webster, a China expert at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University.