China’s Ministry of Public Security has proposed new rules that would bar individuals convicted of cybercrime from leaving the country as part of a broader effort to deter online offences. The draft regulations, published on February 4, 2026, would allow authorities to impose exit bans on people found guilty of committing or facilitating cyber-enabled crimes, including fraud, hacking, distribution of malware, and other illicit digital activities.
Under the proposed measures, individuals convicted in Chinese courts of offences involving digital systems or networks could be added to a travel restriction list that prevents them from leaving the country. Authorities said the draft rules are intended to strengthen enforcement of court sentences and reduce the likelihood that convicted cybercriminals would evade punishment by relocating abroad. The regulations would also apply to people who assist offenders, including technical facilitators and accomplices.
Chinese officials said the draft policy is part of a wider overhaul of rules governing cybersecurity and digital law enforcement. The Ministry of Public Security said it will solicit public comment on the proposal before any final version is adopted. Officials described the exit ban concept as a tool to enhance accountability for cybercrime in an environment where offenders can operate across borders. Critics of the draft have raised concerns about the potential for broader use of travel restrictions beyond serious offences, but authorities said legal safeguards would apply.
The proposed exit bans would be added to a list of administrative measures that China can impose on convicted individuals, similar to existing tools used for economic offenders and those involved in financial crimes. Officials said the change would align cybercrime more closely with other categories of serious wrongdoing subject to travel restrictions. The draft rules do not yet specify how long bans would last or the criteria for removal once imposed.
China’s approach reflects wider efforts to tighten enforcement of digital law and to reduce the incidence of cyber-enabled fraud, which authorities say has caused significant economic harm. The Ministry of Public Security said the consultation period for the draft regulations will remain open for a defined timeframe before revisions and formal adoption are completed. There was no immediate comment from legal experts outside China on the draft policy