Judicial efforts to protect people's personal information and their legitimate rights in cyberspace were further strengthened last year in China, according to annual work reports released by the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Supreme People's Court, the top judicial authorities of the country.

The reports were submitted to the ongoing fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, for review on Tuesday.

According to the SPP's report, last year, 3,436 people were charged with crimes that harmed social order or people's lawful rights, including online defamation and infringement of personal information, up 51.3 percent year-on-year.

Chinese courts handled 4,098 cases related to personal information infringement, in which people's identity cards, contacts, express delivery messages, WeChat accounts and patient data were stolen and purchased, a 60.2 percent increase year-on-year, the SPC report said.