China moves to tighten cybercrime laws with post-sentence exit bans

Beijing is redrafting its cybersecurity law to bar convicted cybercriminals from leaving China for up to three years after their sentence, signaling a tougher stance on cross-border online fraud and related digital crime networks.

The draft Cybercrime Prevention and Control Law bill, announced by the Chinese Public Security Ministry, introduces a wide array of proposals as part of a broader effort by Beijing to tighten controls over cybercrime and related support networks.

According to SCMP, the exit ban would apply not only to those convicted of core cybercrime offences but also to individuals deemed to have facilitated or abetted such activities. This includes people and entities providing technical platforms, payment services, accounts, or recruitment services that assist cybercriminal networks, even if they claim ignorance of the criminal activity.

The bill also aims to target actions against those involved in “spreading fake news and fabricated information,” as well as publishing information that “goes against public order and accepted social morals to gain traffic or advertising revenue.”

Beyond exit bans, the bill empowers authorities to bar entry to any individual convicted of a cybercrime, regardless of their location or where the offense occurred.

The legislation, if enacted, would grant authorities the power to prosecute Chinese nationals abroad, as well as foreign entities, for cyber activities deemed harmful to China’s national interests.

Broader regulatory push

This draft follows a broader legislative trend in China of upgrading its regulatory framework. For instance, on January 1st, 2026, amendments to the Cybersecurity Law expanded enforcement mechanisms, raised penalties for violations, and broadened the law’s extraterritorial reach to any activity that endangers national cybersecurity.

The draft comes as China intensifies cooperation with Southeast Asian countries to combat cross-border online fraud networks. The country has applied increasingly severe penalties against large scam networks, including executions for syndicate leaders, to deter industrial-scale cyber fraud.

Public comment on the draft is open until next month.

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