--- title: "What counts as sensitive personal information in China?" canonical_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-counts-as-sensitive-personal-information-in-china" source_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-counts-as-sensitive-personal-information-in-china" author: "Sorena AI" description: "PIPL uses a harm-based test for sensitive personal information and lists examples such as biometrics, health, financial accounts, location traces, and all personal information of children under 14." published_at: "2026-07-05" updated_at: "2026-07-24" keywords: - "China PIPL" - "Personal Information Protection Law" - "Data export" - "Standard contract" - "App privacy" --- **[SORENA](https://www.sorena.io/)** - AI-Powered GRC Platform [Home](https://www.sorena.io/) | [Solutions](https://www.sorena.io/solutions) | [Artifacts](https://www.sorena.io/artifacts) | [About Us](https://www.sorena.io/about-us) | [Contact](https://www.sorena.io/contact) | [Portal](https://app.sorena.io) --- # What counts as sensitive personal information in China? PIPL uses a harm-based test for sensitive personal information and lists examples such as biometrics, health, financial accounts, location traces, and all personal information of children under 14. *Question* *China* ## 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. PIPL has applied since November 1, 2021. Sensitive personal information 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. ## Definitions ### Sensitive personal information under PIPL **Term:** sensitive personal information Sensitive personal information is personal information whose leakage or illegal use could readily harm a natural person's dignity or endanger personal or property safety. PIPL lists biometric identification, religious belief, specific identity, medical and health, financial account, and location-tracking information as examples. It also classifies all personal information of children under 14 as sensitive. **Why it matters here:** The category is not limited to a closed list of field names. The processor must apply the harm test to the information and its use, establish a specific purpose and sufficient necessity, take strict protective measures, give an additional notice, obtain separate consent where consent is required, and complete a PIPIA before processing. Sources: - [PRC Personal Information Protection Law, Articles 28-31 and 55](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-08/20/c_1631050028355286.htm?ref=sorena.io) ## 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. Sources for this answer: - [PRC Personal Information Protection Law](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-08/20/c_1631050028355286.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Article 28 supplies the harm test, representative categories, and the rule for children under 14. ## What changes when the information is sensitive A processor may handle sensitive personal information 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. Sources for this answer: - [PRC Personal Information Protection Law](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-08/20/c_1631050028355286.htm?ref=sorena.io) - 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. ## Primary sources - [PRC Personal Information Protection Law](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-08/20/c_1631050028355286.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Binding source for the sensitive-personal-information harm test and examples, children under 14, additional safeguards and notice, separate or written consent, parent-or-guardian consent, dedicated rules, and prior PIPIA. ## Topic Guides - [App minimum necessary personal information by category](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/app-minimum-necessary-personal-information-by-category.md): App category mapping page for common mobile app necessary personal information scope, using only categories supported by the official source. - [China app personal information minimization](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/app-personal-information-minimization.md): How to map app category, basic functions, and necessary personal information under China mobile app personal-information rules. - [China data export security assessment workflow](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/data-export-security-assessment-workflow.md): Workflow for screening data export security assessment triggers, materials, owners, and evidence records. - [China personal information cross-border transfer routes](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/cross-border-transfer-routes.md): Compare China's current data-export exemptions, CAC security assessment, standard contract, and personal information protection certification routes. - [China personal information standard contract filing workflow](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/standard-contract-filing-workflow.md): Workflow for the PIPL standard contract route, assessment, filing package, and cited evidence. - [China PIPL compliance checklist](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/checklist.md): China PIPL compliance checklist covering scope, processing bases, notices, sensitive information, rights, vendors, impact assessments, incidents, and exports. - [China PIPL deadlines and compliance calendar](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/deadlines-and-compliance-calendar.md): Calendar China PIPL effective dates, recurring audits, privacy-officer reporting, impact-assessment retention, and data export filing and renewal deadlines. - [China PIPL penalties and enforcement exposure](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/penalties-and-fines.md): Understand PIPL corrective orders, serious-violation fines, responsible-person exposure, civil claims, public-interest actions, and data export enforcement. - [China PIPL privacy notice and consent checklist](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/privacy-policy-and-consent-checklist.md): China PIPL checklist for privacy notices, valid consent, separate consent, sensitive information, children under 14, withdrawal, and rights requests. - [China PIPL requirements](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/requirements.md): China PIPL requirements from scope and processing basis through notices, rights, security, impact assessments, incidents, vendors, and data exports. - [China PIPL vs CCPA/CPRA: Requirements Compared](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/china-pipl-vs-ccpa-cpra.md): Compare PIPL and CCPA/CPRA scope, consent and opt-out rules, rights, assessments, data exports, breach duties, and penalties. - [China PIPL vs EU GDPR: Requirements Compared](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/china-privacy-law-vs-gdpr.md): Compare PIPL and GDPR scope, roles, legal bases, rights, impact assessments, breach deadlines, international transfers, and penalties. - [China PIPL vs Singapore PDPA: Requirements Compared](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/china-privacy-law-vs-singapore-pdpa.md): Compare PIPL and Singapore PDPA scope, roles, consent alternatives, rights, breach duties, overseas transfers, and penalties. - [China Privacy Law FAQ](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq.md): Practical answers on China's PIPL: scope, legal bases, sensitive information, separate consent, vendors, PIPIA records, app minimization, and export routes. - [How should vendor contracts handle entrusted processing under PIPL?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/how-should-vendor-contracts-handle-entrusted-processing.md): A PIPL entrusted-processing contract must define the purpose, duration, method, personal-information categories, safeguards, and both parties' duties. See the required terms and supporting records. - [Is PIPL the same as GDPR?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/is-pipl-the-same-as-gdpr.md): No. China's PIPL and the EU GDPR overlap on core privacy controls, but differ in territorial scope, legal bases, roles, sensitive data, impact assessments, and transfer routes. - [PIPL automated decision-making and personalized recommendations](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/automated-decision-making-and-personalized-recommendations.md): PIPL checks for automated decisions, personalized recommendations, marketing, differential treatment, explanations, refusal rights, and impact assessments. - [PIPL breach response and notification](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/breach-response-and-notification.md): PIPL incident workflow for immediate remediation, authority and individual notices, the narrow individual-notice exception, vendor coordination, and evidence. - [PIPL cross-border transfer route selector](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/pipl-cross-border-transfer-route-selector.md): Step-by-step selector for China's data-export exemptions, CAC security assessment, standard contract, and personal information protection certification. - [PIPL entrusted processing and vendor contracts](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/entrusted-processing-and-vendor-contracts.md): How to document entrusted processing, vendor responsibilities, contract controls, and evidence under PIPL. - [PIPL impact assessment template](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/personal-information-protection-impact-assessment-template.md): Template fields for a China personal information protection impact assessment and export/entrusted-processing evidence. - [Sensitive personal information and separate consent under PIPL](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/sensitive-personal-information-and-separate-consent.md): How to identify sensitive PI triggers, separate consent, minors, additional safeguards, and evidence records. - [What is separate consent under PIPL?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-is-separate-consent-under-pipl.md): Separate consent under China's PIPL is a distinct consent for a specified processing activity. See when it applies, what notice must come first, and what evidence to keep. - [What records should we keep for a PIPL impact assessment?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-records-should-we-keep-for-a-pipl-impact-assessment.md): A PIPL impact-assessment file should preserve the Article 55 trigger, processing facts, Article 56 analysis, safeguards, decision, and processing record for at least three years. - [What should an app collect as necessary personal information in China?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-should-an-app-collect-as-necessary-personal-information.md): Match the app's basic function to China's 2021 rules and collect no more than the listed necessary personal information. Users must retain the basic function if they decline non-necessary data. - [When can a company use the China standard contract route?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/when-can-a-company-use-the-china-standard-contract-route.md): Use China's standard contract route only after applying the 2024 exemptions and confirming that no CAC security assessment is required. See current thresholds, filing steps, and change triggers. - [When does a China PIPL security assessment apply?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/when-does-a-china-pipl-security-assessment-apply.md): A CAC data export security assessment applies to CIIO exports, important data, and specified high-volume personal-information exports after the 2024 exemptions are applied. *Operationalize the requirement* *Placement: Before primary sources* ## 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. - [Map official sources to evidence](/solutions/research-copilot.md): Research Copilot connects the official citation, decision, owner, retained evidence, and change history. - [Review the China route](/contact.md): Check the China Privacy Law scope decision and unresolved launch questions with Sorena. --- [Privacy Policy](https://www.sorena.io/privacy.md) | [Terms of Use](https://www.sorena.io/terms-of-use.md) | [DMCA](https://www.sorena.io/dmca.md) | [About Us](https://www.sorena.io/about-us.md) (c) 2026 Sorena AB (559573-7338). All rights reserved. Source: https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-counts-as-sensitive-personal-information-in-china.md