英闻天下——28 Legal Experts Stress Personal Info Protection

 　　China's online users and legal experts are now calling on the government to step up its efforts to address the leakage¹ and abuse of personal information on the internet.

 

　　The call comes as the country's top legislature is reviewing a draft legal document aiming at protecting personal information online.

 

　　Zhang Ru takes a closer look.

 

　　Ding Ning is an undergraduate student at Beijing Jiaotong University. She says recently she has been annoyed by unwanted calls from unknown callers.

 

　　"I once gave my name and cell-phone number to just one particular overseas education agency. But since then, I have frequently received calls from many other similar agencies. I suspect that my personal information may have been leaked."

 

　　Actually, what Ding has experienced is a daily nuisance for many Chinese, who believe their personal information is being sold to third parties and abused in other ways.

 

　　The problem has grown in recent years along with the increased use of the internet. China currently has more than 500 million internet users, the largest number in the world.

 

　　Tan Guojian, a student at Beijing-based Renmin University, talks about his frustration² with the lack of protection of his personal information.

 

　　"I don't know what channels and government departments I should refer to when my personal information is leaked and abused. I just have to tolerate such a situation."

 

　　Yet this situation could change in the near future as the Standing³ Committee of the National People's Congress has been reviewing a draft decision on internet management. The decision will have the same legal effect as a law once it is adopted.

 

　　The draft decision stipulates⁴ that authorities will protect digital information that can be used to determine the identity of a user or which concerns a user's privacy.

 

　　It also says network service providers and other government-sponsored institutions and companies should strictly⁵ ensure the privacy of personal digital information.

 

　　Zhou Hanhua, a law expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, suggests that the proposed law should focus on the roots of personal information leakage.

 

　　"Judging from international experiences, laws on personal information protection mainly target public institutions and large enterprises. You know, these entities⁶ are more likely to obtain and control citizens' personal information while providing service. Compared with other culprits of personal information abuses, public institutions and large enterprises will cause much more serious consequences if they leak and sell personal information."

 

　　Besides these changes, legal experts have also advised internet users to improve their own awareness⁷ of safeguarding their own privacy as well as the privacy of others.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Zhang Ru.

1 leakage   

n.漏，泄漏；泄漏物；漏出量

参考例句：

• Large areas of land have been contaminated by the leakage from the nuclear reactor.大片地区都被核反应堆的泄漏物污染了。
• The continuing leakage is the result of the long crack in the pipe.这根管子上的那一条裂缝致使渗漏不断。

2 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

5 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

6 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。