On October 26, the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress in China voted to pass a new cryptography law. According to the official announcement, the new law implements national cryptography standards and protocols for password management.
This new law came into effect just days after General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping announced a strong desire for more research into the standardization of blockchain technology.
The new law categorizes cryptography uses into three separate classifications, each with its own unique set of rules and requirements: core, common, or commercial cryptography.
Core and common standards are treated with the same level of scrutiny. These standards are used for official state protocols and protecting private government information.
Commercial cryptography standards are used to protect anything other than state secrets. It's required for all other public use—from private citizens to corporations.
The new cryptography requirements also come with their share of legal ramifications. The new law has an entire chapter explaining the legal liability of cryptography misconduct. For example, anyone caught stealing or hacking encrypted information will be held legally accountable in accordance with the new regulations.
This new cryptography law goes into effect January 1, 2020.
