China recently arrested five individuals in connection with the biggest data-theft case in the country’s history, with more than 3 billion items of user data stolen from 96 internet companies, including industry giants Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba.
Police in Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, arrested the suspects for stealing the data and profiting through marketing businesses they established. The criminal group is estimated to have earned more than 30 million yuan ($4.38 million) a year, state-run newspaper Beijing Youth Daily reported on Aug. 20.
