1. New Regulations Delivery: Officially implemented from November 1
On October 11, 2025, the Supreme People's Court issued the "Provisions on the Jurisdiction of Internet Courts" (Fa Shi [2025] No. 14), which will officially take effect on November 1. This adjustment marks a key upgrade of the Internet Court's function from "innovation in trial mechanisms" to "outgoing adjudication rules for internet governance," precisely responding to new legal needs such as the data economy and platform governance.
2. Three Core Changes in Jurisdiction
(1) Four new types of cutting-edge cases (exclusive jurisdiction of Internet courts)
- Online data disputes: including disputes over data ownership determination, data infringement, data service contracts, etc
- Personal Information and Privacy Disputes: Covers infringement cases such as excessive app collection and information leakage
- Virtual property disputes: Disputes over ownership and transactions of game equipment, virtual currency, etc
- Online Unfair Competition Disputes: Including platform "choose one out of two" and algorithmic discrimination and other new competitive behaviors
(2) Retain jurisdiction over four types of classic cases
Continuing the core scope of the 2018 regulations to ensure the implementation of the "Online Dispute Review" mechanism:
- Disputes over domain names, infringement, and contracts
- Disputes over online shopping contracts concluded or performed by e-commerce platforms
- Network service contract disputes completed entirely online
4. Online public interest litigation cases initiated by the procuratorate
(3) Remove five types of traditional cases (transferred to ordinary grassroots courts for jurisdiction)
- Online financial loans and microloan contract disputes
- General online copyright ownership and infringement disputes (handled centrally by six grassroots courts including Dongcheng and Chaoyang in Beijing)
- Product liability disputes caused by defects in online shopping products
- Online reputation rights and general personality rights infringement disputes
5. Ordinary online property infringement disputes
3. Three major direct impacts on the parties involved
Precise matching of litigation courts: If enterprises in Beijing, Hangzhou, or Guangzhou encounter disputes such as data leaks or theft of virtual assets, they must file directly with the local internet court; For infringement of online shopping product quality, the defendant must assert rights at the local court of the defendant's domicile or receipt location.
Jurisdiction restrictions by agreement: If the standard clause stipulates that the case is not under the jurisdiction of the Internet Court, and the case falls within the scope of Article 1 of the new regulations, the agreement is invalid; However, it is possible to choose other Internet courts (such as Guangzhou Internet Court) for jurisdiction by agreement.
Seamless transition between new and old cases: Cases accepted before November 1 will continue to be tried by the original court, without the need to change jurisdiction.
4. Practical Response Suggestions (Must-Read for Enterprises / Individuals)
Enterprise side
Clarify contract terms: Contracts for data services, virtual property transactions, etc., must clearly state "jurisdiction of XX Internet Court."
Electronic evidence retention: Platform transaction records, data flow logs, etc., must be synchronized with blockchain evidence storage.
Identifying compliance risks: Focus on reviewing whether data collection and algorithm applications may trigger disputes under the jurisdiction of internet courts.
Personal Terminal
In case of information leakage: Save app permission settings and infringement notification records, and file a lawsuit with the corresponding Internet Court.
Online Shopping Rights Protection Jurisdiction Courts Classification: For platform order disputes, go to the Internet Court; for product quality infringement, go to the local court.
Virtual property rights protection: Prepare evidence such as recharge records and account statements, and you can directly claim your claim at the internet court where the platform is located.
5. Conclusion
This jurisdictional adjustment marks a new stage in China's online justice system of "professional network governance." Whether platform enterprises, data service providers, or ordinary internet users, it is essential to accurately grasp the boundaries of jurisdiction. If you encounter jurisdictional questions in specific cases in the internet or e-commerce sectors, feel free to contact us anytime for specialized analysis.
