| Legal status and issuing authorities | The April text was a CAC consultation proposal without binding effect. | The final provisions are jointly issued by the CAC and Ministry of Public Security and take effect on 1 September 2026. | ~ Modified | Organizations should implement the final text and retain the draft only for version history. | Official publication announcement and final provisions.Effective: 2026-09-01Previous sourceCurrent source |
| Eligibility threshold | The proposal targeted qualifying small personal information processors. | The final rule applies the stated small-processor framework to processors handling personal information of fewer than 100,000 persons, subject to the rule's exclusions and counting method. | i Clarified | The threshold excludes a processor at exactly 100,000 persons; current natural persons are counted and deleted personal information is excluded as explained in the official Q&A. | Read the final text together with the CAC Q&A issued on 24 July 2026.Effective: 2026-09-01Current source |
| Compliance audit | The draft proposed a proportionate audit arrangement. | The final framework confirms a simplified audit cycle, with the official Q&A explaining an interval of at least once every five years and a certification-related exemption during validity. | i Clarified | Eligible processors should document both threshold eligibility and the basis for using the simplified audit schedule. | Official explanatory Q&A; the underlying conditions must be checked before reliance.Effective: 2026-09-01Current source |
| Impact assessment and cross-border arrangements | The draft proposed simplification of selected assessment and data-export compliance steps. | The final provisions retain proportionate treatment for specified personal information protection impact assessments and selected cross-border data transfer arrangements. | ~ Modified | Simplification is conditional and does not eliminate the need to check the PIPL, network-data rules, sensitive-personal-information conditions or national data-export mechanisms. | Use the official final text and annex self-check materials; do not generalize the simplifications beyond their stated scope.Effective: 2026-09-01Current source |