China’s Ministry of State Security said in a notice on its official WeChat account on June 8 that AI relay platforms used by Chinese developers to access overseas AI models could expose user data, enable unauthorized cross-border data transfers, and facilitate illegal data trading.

The ministry said these services combine access to multiple domestic and overseas models through a single interface.

It warned that some relay platform operators store user data on their own servers without adequate encryption and may operate without proper qualifications.

The notice reflects China’s sensitivity to cross-border data flows because its regime under the Cybersecurity Law (CSL), Data Security Law (DSL), and Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) can require approvals for some overseas transfers of personal information or important data.

Recent enforcement cases have penalized transfers of customer data overseas and warned companies about synchronising data to foreign cloud servers without required security measures.

The warning also reflects continued demand for relay services among Chinese developers seeking overseas models such as Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT, which do not officially support users in mainland China.

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post

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