Hacker puts stolen data of 1 billion Chinese for sale on the internet

The hacker who claims to have stolen the personal data of 1 billion Chinese is putting the information up for sale on the internet.

If confirmed, this data leak would be one of the most important in history.

A sample of 750,000 pieces of data, released online by the hacker, contains the names, cell phone numbers, ID numbers, addresses and dates of birth of those affected.

The AFP news agency and cybersecurity experts verified the authenticity of some of the data released by the attacker. But the true magnitude of the data leak has yet to be confirmed.

Promoted on an online forum in late June but found this week by cybersecurity experts, the database sells for ten bitcoins, equivalent to more than $200,000.

The administration is very extensive in China and the authorities maintain extensive databases on the population.

The growing awareness of the general public has led legislators in recent years to strengthen laws on the protection of personal and business data.

However, citizens have few means to prevent the state from collecting their personal information.

Some of the data released by the hacker appears to come from the historical records of highly developed express delivery companies in China.

Others contain summaries of incidents such as traffic accidents, robberies, spousal violence, rape and others reported to Shanghai police.

Four of the 12 people contacted by AFP confirmed the veracity of information contained in the published database, such as their names and addresses.