MINOR PROTECTION

A spate of child abuse, molestation, and school bullying cases in recent years have led China to update the legal protection of minors. The second revision of China’s Law on the Protection of Minors, originally enacted in 1991, will take effect on June 1, 2021.

Among the law’s 132 articles, it specifies for the first time that local civil affairs departments and provincial government are responsible for ensuring the protection of minors, whereas only families, schools, “societal actors,” and legal organs had been held responsible before. Governments will be required to grant access to their criminal database so that organizations that serve minors may perform background checks on job applicants and existing staff.

The law also establishes protection for minors on the internet—setting limits on minors’ spending online, preventing web platforms from distributing content harmful to minors, and prohibiting cyberbullying.