China has launched a nationwide campaign against personal information trafficking as part of efforts to create a clean online environment, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The campaign, which will run until the end of this year, is aimed at locating criminal gangs and staff at public institutions involved in the trafficking of personal information, the ministry said in a statement.

The campaign will focus on hacking activities and illegal acts at the source, it said.

Those who provide promotion and money-transfer services for suspects of online crime will also be a priority in the campaign, according to the statement.

Suspects of online crime often use illegally-obtained personal information to defraud the public and make money.

(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2018)