Authored by: Liu Haitao (Harry) , Zhao Xinhua , Haiyan Yang and Hongyu Xu
On October 16, 2024, the official WeChat account of the Ministry of State Security (“MSS”) published an article titled The Secret Mapping and the Hidden Leaks. This article attracted widespread social attention, especially in the automotive industry.
Geographic information of surveying and mapping is closely related to national security, and it is a key area under legal regulation in China. Raw surveying and mapping geographic information data, such as precise measurements of military bases and key locations, poses the risk of being used by foreign parties to mark critical national areas. According to Chinese law, entities engaged in surveying and mapping must obtain specific surveying and mapping qualifications, and the handling of surveying and mapping data is subject to strict confidentiality and security compliance obligations. Since intelligent connected vehicles (“ICVs”) heavily rely on real-time high-precision coordinates and high-definition imagery data during testing, operation and service, which may involve the collection, storage, transmission and processing of geographic information related to road infrastructure, spatial locations and specific regions, they are also subject to strict regulations regarding Geographic information of surveying and mapping.