个人信息概念之反思和重塑——立法与实践的理论起点

Reflection and Reconstruction of the Concept of Personal Information——The Theoretical Starting Point of Legislation and Practice

"个人信息"概念的界定,是个人信息保护立法的核心和前提。识别说以信息与主体之间是否存在某种客观、可识别的可能性来界定个人信息。随着科技发展与信息种类的多样化,这种静态的定义在实践中受到严峻挑战。如何协调法律的确定性与科技发展带来的不确定性、如何平衡个人信息保护与信息之间的流动、如何在概念适用中根据信息存在的语境调整个人信息保护的强度,成为个人信息立法与实践的理论起点。通过对传统学说的反思,未来中国个人信息保护立法应以识别说和关联说为基础,重塑更具有包容性的个人信息概念及相应的个人信息保护机制,实现有效保护个人信息的立法目的。

"Personal Information"is a central concept in privacy statutes and regulation,triggering the application of privacy law.The definition in orthodox approaches focused on the objective and identifiable relationship between the information and the relevant person.With the development of technology,the dramatic change in the classification of information raised up the challenges to this traditional definition.How to coordinate legal certainty and the uncertainty brought by hi-tech development,how to balance the protection of personal information and the necessary flow of data for business purposes,and how to adjust and determine the degrees of the protection of personal information in context,establishing themselves as the starting point of the studies on privacy legislation.These require the reflection on the traditional definition.On the basis of theories of identification and linkage,this research suggests reconsidering the aims and goals of the legislation on personal information in China,reshaping the definition and relevant mechanism with more comprehensive understanding in a dynamic context,and then fully protecting personal information to achieve the goals.