From doxxing to rumour-mongering: China’s cybercrime cases jump 158.5% in five years
Authorities are targeting offences ranging from doxxing and online rumour-mongering to telecom fraud, according to reports released at the Two Sessions meetings on Monday (Mar 9).
President of the Supreme People's Court Zhang Jun delivers a speech during the second plenary session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Mar 9, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Hu Chushi)
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BEIJING: China’s top judicial bodies have signalled a tougher stance on cybersecurity and emerging tech-related crimes, from doxxing to the regulation of assisted driving systems, as the country accelerates artificial intelligence (AI) and high-tech development.
Over the past five years, courts concluded 9,326 cases involving crimes endangering cybersecurity - a 158.5 per cent increase compared with the previous five-year period, according to the Supreme People’s Court (SPC).
The figures were disclosed in annual work reports by the SPC and Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) during the Two Sessions meetings in Beijing on Monday (Mar 9).
China has in recent years positioned AI, smart vehicles and the broader digital economy as key growth drivers, while regulators have moved in parallel to tighten oversight of online platforms and data security.
SPC said it had intensified efforts to combat crimes that undermine cybersecurity, including online rumour-mongering, cyber violence and telecom fraud, as authorities respond to the rapid expansion of China’s digital economy.
EMERGING TECH CRIMES
In Monday’s annual work report, China’s top court spotlighted how new forms of crime were emerging alongside technological change.
SPC President Zhang Jun highlighted offences such as online rumours, cyber violence and doxxing.
One case saw two young individuals convicted for maliciously engaging in doxxing, illegally obtaining and disseminating others’ private information.
In some cases, leaks escalated into phone harassment, verbal abuse and threats.
Regulations surrounding assisted driving technology are also tightening as China rapidly advances its New Energy Vehicle (NEV) industry.
Monday’s report also singled out misuse of assisted-driving systems as an emerging legal risk.
Last month, SPC issued a guiding case underscoring that drivers remain legally responsible even when assisted driving systems are activated.
The ruling referenced a case from Zhejiang province in which an intoxicated driver surnamed Wang installed a device to mimic a grip on the steering wheel, set the vehicle in motion, and fell asleep in the passenger seat.
Police later discovered that the car had stopped in the middle of a road.
Wang was subsequently jailed and fined.
“The on-board assisted driving system cannot replace the driver as the primary driving subject,” the court said.
TACKLING TELECOM SCAMS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CRIMES
Around 182,000 people were charged over the past year over internet-related crimes, which included roughly 69,000 individuals for telecom and online fraud, according to reports.
In cross-border scam cases linked to criminal groups in northern Myanmar, prosecutors brought charges against 285 suspects, including members of the so-called “Four Major Families”.
Sixteen principal members of those criminal groups were sentenced to death with immediate execution, SPC said, adding 39 defendants received life imprisonment and other harsh penalties.
“Crimes committed overseas that infringe upon the rights and interests of citizens will be punished in accordance with the law,” Zhang said on Monday.
Trials involving key members of two of the “four major families” controlling criminal networks in northern Myanmar, controlled by Chinese-linked criminal families, had concluded.
China also concluded 496,000 intellectual property rights cases, marking an increase of 0.3 per cent from 2024.
A total of 19,000 individuals were sentenced for intellectual property (IP) infringement crimes, a 6.2 increase.
Last year, 25,000 cases of assisting information network criminal activities were concluded, involving 38,000 individuals, a year-on-year decrease of 62 per cent, reports revealed.
The offence covers knowingly aiding online criminal operations by providing technical support or payment services that help fraudsters.
Since September last year, China has required all AI-generated online content to carry visible labels and embedded metadata - aiming to improve traceability and curb misinformation and fraud.
