District Procuratorate Steps Up Fight Against Cybercrime

Shanghai's Jing'an District People's Procuratorate issued today 10 guidelines aimed at strengthening digital security, as authorities move to step up enforcement against cybercrime and data-related offenses.

The guidelines focus on targeted crackdowns on hacking, data theft, and other cybercrimes that threaten computer systems, particularly those linked to national security and key public service sectors.

Prosecutors said they will intensify efforts against the illegal acquisition, disclosure and misuse of data, while carrying out full-chain crackdowns on telecom and online fraud and related underground criminal activities.

Intellectual property protection will be strengthened in key areas of the digital economy, including software source code and artificial intelligence algorithms, with tougher enforcement against online unfair competition.

Since 2023, prosecutors in Jing'an have handled more than 1,400 cybercrime cases involving over 2,200 suspects, either at the arrest or prosecution review stage. The most common charges included fraud, assisting online criminal activities, illegal access to computer data, and providing tools used for hacking or illegal system control.

Prosecutors said cybercrime differs from traditional offenses by being more specialized, sophisticated, and concealed, with about 34 percent of suspects having professional technical backgrounds.

As e-commerce and livestreaming-based sales expand, many data-related crimes now operate across regions, using online platforms to rapidly carry out activities such as online promotion and fund transfers.

Some cybercrime cases have evolved into tightly coordinated, industrial-scale operations, in some instances forming full underground criminal chains that make investigation and prosecution more complex.

Zhu Qinghua, acting chief procurator of the Jing'an District People's Procuratorate, said closer coordination with police and courts, including regular joint meetings, has allowed prosecutors to intervene early in all new, major, and complex data-related cybercrime cases.

The procuratorate urged the public to enhance their awareness of personal data protection. They should remain alert to deceptive tactics and exercise caution when sharing personal information. The public is also advised to refrain from clicking on suspicious links.