(PEI XIN)

A disc containing leaked personal information of corporate executives that was sold online has been condemned as an invasion of privacy.

Anonymous messages, strange calls and spam frequently harass Chinese residents and could come to an end as a national standard on personal information protection will become effective on February 1, 2013.

Information collectors must obtain permission before collecting and using a person's sensitive private information, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on January 21.

The guideline, which was published last November, is the first of its kind in the country.