What Does China’s New Cyberspace Sovereignty Mean, and is Your Company Ready?

On Nov. 7, 2016, the official and finalized version of the Cyberspace Security Law (the “CSL”) was approved by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and signed off by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Under the CSL, the Chinese government has, for the first time, claimed sovereignty over cyberspace, asserting all the attendant rights and powers that such sovereignty grants, with a goal of ensuring the security and safety of users of the “network” as defined by the CSL (see explanation below) and their interests in cyberspace.

This article  summarizes what you should know about the CSL, anticipating its going into effect on June 1, 2017.