Be careful on what you post on social media as information obtained from these networking sites is now considered a legal judicial or investigative reference in China.

Chinese officials issued a document entitled "Regulation on Collection and Using Electronic Data as Evidence" last month, legalizing the use of private messages and public comments in social media sites as a valid criminal evidence in court, the Quartz reported.

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In a joint statement issued by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the Ministry of Public Security, the policy allows the court to obtain "electronic data" to investigate legal cases from network platforms including, but not limited to:

• websites, blogs, micro-blogs, Moments, forums, and cloud storage services;
• text messages, emails, instant messages, group chats, and other "related communication messages";
• registered online identities, electronic financial transactions, and log-in records; and
• text documents, pictures, videos, electronic certificates, computer programs, and other related electronic documents.

Furthermore, when the data face a threat from being tampered or destroyed, authorities are allowed to provide freezing measures such as confiscating and sealing up the hardware where the original data were stored; producing and sealing up copies of the data; and recording the retrieving activities, according to People's Daily China.

China's Ministry of Public Security announced that the new mandate have come into effect on Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, netizens expressed concern over the new policy, saying this might be used to suppress freedom of expression online and violate people's privacy, Quartz noted.

China has been stepping up its efforts to police the Internet. Last August, the country required mobile app providers to collect and retain user data and records for at least 60 days. Furthermore, Chinese mobile phone users are also required to register their SIM cards under their real names.

 

Tagslegal evidence, social media, social media evidence in court, social media evidence collection, china, WeChat, weibo, Sina Weibo censorship, Privacy, Freedom of Speech