Anheng Information Co. Ltd, one of the leaders in the network security industry in China, has reported that a ChatGPT or an automated query robot has leaked 4.5 billion pieces of personal information in China pertaining to e-commerce or express logistics industry.
Users only need to enter mobile phone number to query private information such as name, mobile phone number and detailed delivery address. The volume of customers’ data that has been stolen is still under investigation by authorities.
Significantly, Chinese courier industry has recorded rapid growth over the past five years, benefiting from China’s strong economic performance and growing e-commerce expansion. Courier activities play an increasingly important role in the transport, storage and postal sectors in China and contribute to greater efficiency and productivity in this sector. The courier industry, encompassing a vast delivery network with total mileage of 43 million kilometers and 410,000 service stations, enjoys place of prominence in the economic ecosystem.
At present, express delivery services are available in 90 percent of all Chinese administrative villages and are instrumental in the growth of rural income, consumption ability and rural consumption. It is a vital sector to boost the domestic consumption.
Courier and delivery sector is also one of the largest employers in China especially for unskilled and semi-skilled work force.
With the rise in the unemployment rates in the country, any shrinkage in this sector due to loss of customer trust in the wake of the data breach will have further cascading effects on the employment rates.
This data breach reflects poorly on the data protection measures adopted by Chinese government to protect personal information of individuals. It has already pulled down stock market in China.
