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What counts as sensitive personal information in China? Direct answer

Sensitive personal information is information whose leak or illegal use could readily harm a person's dignity or endanger personal or property safety. PIPL gives examples, but the statutory harm test controls.

Classify the information in context, then document the specific purpose, sufficient necessity, strict safeguards, additional notice, separate consent, and prior PIPIA.

Author
Sorena AI
Published
Jul 5, 2026
Updated
Jul 24, 2026
Questions
2

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Primary sources
1

Cited legal and guidance references.

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Sorena AI
Published Jul 5, 2026
Updated Jul 24, 2026
Overview

PIPL has applied since November 1, 2021. is personal information whose leakage or illegal use could readily harm a natural person's dignity or endanger personal or property safety. PIPL examples include biometric identification, religious belief, specific identity, medical and health, financial account, and location-tracking information. All personal information of children under 14 is sensitive.

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Question 1

Apply the harm test, not only the examples

Article 28's examples are representative categories, not a complete field dictionary. Classify the actual information and processing context by asking whether leakage or illegal use could readily cause either kind of statutory harm. A field that looks ordinary in isolation may become sensitive when combined with other data or used to infer health, identity, movements, finances, or another protected condition.

The category includes all personal information of a child under 14, even if the same field would not be sensitive for an adult. For example, a child's basic account identifier falls within the child-specific rule because of the person's age.

  • Biometric identification, religious belief, and specific identity are express statutory examples; record the exact information and how it is used.
  • Medical and health information and financial account information are express statutory examples; apply the harm test to the fields, inferences, and processing context.
  • Location-tracking information is an express statutory example; record what the information reveals, how long it is retained, and who can access it.
  • Other information can qualify when it meets the statutory harm test even if it does not fit one of the named examples.
Citations
Question 2

What changes when the information is sensitive

A processor may handle only for a specific purpose, with sufficient necessity and strict protective measures. Before processing, give the general Article 17 notice plus the necessity of the sensitive processing and its effect on the individual's rights and interests, unless a PIPL notice exception applies.

Where consent is required, obtain separate consent. Article 13 says consent is not required when one of its listed non-consent circumstances applies, so record that conclusion instead of collecting consent by default. If a law or administrative regulation requires written consent for the particular processing, follow that rule. For a child under 14, obtain consent from a parent or other guardian and adopt dedicated personal-information processing rules. Complete a PIPIA before the processing and retain its report and processing record for at least three years.

  • Inventory: exact fields, inferred attributes, source, system, people concerned, recipients, access locations, and retention.
  • Classification: statutory category where applicable, contextual harm analysis, child-age rule, decision owner, and unresolved borderline facts.
  • Necessity and safeguards: specific purpose, why less intrusive information is insufficient, access restrictions, security measures, and shortest necessary retention.
  • Individual-facing evidence: general and additional notice versions, separate-consent record, withdrawal path, and parent-or-guardian consent where the person is under 14.
  • Assessment: Article 55 PIPIA, control implementation evidence, approval, and triggers for reassessment when the purpose, method, information, recipient, or risk changes.
Citations
PRC Personal Information Protection Law

Articles 28-31 establish the purpose, necessity, safeguard, notice, consent, and child-specific duties. Articles 55-56 require a prior PIPIA and at least three years' retention.

Operationalize the requirement

Prepare the PIPL and data export evidence file

Sorena AI helps turn the answer to "What counts as sensitive personal information in China?" into assigned controls and retained evidence.

Primary sources

References and citations

cac.gov.cn
Referenced sections
  • Articles 28-31 establish the purpose, necessity, safeguard, notice, consent, and child-specific duties. Articles 55-56 require a prior PIPIA and at least three years' retention.
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