论未成年人个人信息处理中最小必要原则的适用

On the Application of the Minimum Necessary Principle in the Handling of Minors’Personal Information

《未成年人网络保护条例》《未成年人保护法》《个人信息保护法》等规定,处理未成年人个人信息时应当遵循最有利于未成年人原则以及最小必要原则,这两项原则在处理未成年人个人信息的场景下共同发挥着重要作用,但这两项原则的实践适用却存在相互冲突。对此,应当在未成年人个人信息处理场景下将最小必要原则作为最有利于未成年人原则的具体表现形式对待,从而将最小必要原则与最有利于未成年人原则二者的关系界定为手段与目的的关系,并在此种关系中明确,处理行为符合最小必要原则的要求时,即可认定为符合最有利于未成年人原则。在最小必要原则的适用问题上,应通过三阶比例原则构建相应的认定标准。其中,相关性阶层主要考量处理行为与实现未成年人最大利益之间的关系,必要性阶层以未成年人或监护人同意的内容为核心考量,均衡性阶层则发挥兜底性的作用,排除过度损害未成年人最大利益的处理行为。当处理行为通过这三阶层的考量时,即可认定符合最小必要原则与最有利于未成年人原则。

The Regulations on the Protection of Minors in Cyberspace,the Law on the Protection of Minors,and the Personal Information Protection Law stipulate that when handling minors’personal information,the principle of most favorable to minors and the principle of minimum necessity must be adhered to.These two principles play a crucial role in the context of processing minors’personal data.However,their practical application can lead to conflicts.To address this issue,the relationship between the principle of minimum necessity and the principle of most favorable to minors should be defined as one of means and ends.It should be clarified that if the processing behavior meets the requirements of the principle of minimum necessity,it can be considered compliant with the principle of most favorable to minors.In applying the principle of minimum necessity,a three-tiered principle of proportionality should be used to establish relevant standards.The relevance tier assesses the relationship between the processing behavior and the realization of minors’maximum benefits.The necessity tier focuses on the consent of the minors or their guardians.The balance tier serves as a safeguard,excluding processing behaviors that excessively harm minors’maximum benefits.If the processing behavior meets the criteria of these three tiers,it can be deemed compliant with both the principle of minimum necessity and the principle of most favorable to minors.