After the new school session started in early September, many parents in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu province, received calls from a variety of educational or training agencies enquiring about their children's educational needs. Shockingly, all the agencies had detailed information on their children, including the names of their schools and house addresses.

Worried about the safety of their children, when some parents reported the matter to police, they were told that law enforcement officers could intervene only if such an information leakage has serious consequences. The police's reply is confusing and will make people whose personal information are leaked more worried, especially because police are obliged to investigate any illegal information leakage instead of waiting until it gets serious.

Even if information leakages have become common in some areas, it does not mean police can remain inactive until the personal details are used to commit frauds, or intimidate or abduct people.