A growing controversy over personal data use and regulatory overreach is gripping China after reports spread that a consumer who purchased heart medication online received an unexpected text message notifying them of driver's license revocation.
According to local outlets including Jimu News and Hubei Daily on Saturday, a Chinese internet user reportedly received a text message from the public security traffic management department shortly after purchasing a heart medication called Suxiao Jiuxin Wan (速效救心丸) through an online shopping platform.
The message stated that "big data analysis has identified records of medical treatment or medication purchases related to conditions that may affect safe driving," and warned that "individuals with such conditions cannot apply for a driver's license, and those who already hold one must apply for license revocation."
Suxiao Jiuxin Wan is known as a medication used to support heart function and improve blood circulation. However, criticism has mounted over whether it is appropriate to raise questions about driving eligibility based solely on a purchase record.
The internet user posted a video on social media saying they "only purchased medicine online and had not even driven recently." The case quickly went viral, drawing widespread public attention. Questions have particularly focused on how public security authorities obtained the individual's medication purchase data.
Some have argued that the effort could be seen as an attempt to screen high-risk individuals for accident prevention, given that heart disease treatments and sleep medications can genuinely affect driving ability. However, many have criticized the approach of preemptively notifying individuals of potential driving ineligibility based on purchase history alone as excessive administrative intervention.
Authorities have explained that the message was merely informational in nature and that actual license revocation would be determined through additional verification procedures. Yet criticism has emerged over the burden and inconvenience created by a structure that requires individuals to proactively prove they do not have a disqualifying medical condition.
Above all, the core of the controversy lies in the scope of personal data use. Concerns have been raised that the traffic authority's use of individuals' medication purchase data could constitute a privacy violation, fueling broader distrust in the overall data management system.
On this front, China has enforced the Data Security Law since 2021, mandating corporate cooperation with data collection carried out in the name of national security. The law strictly restricts the overseas transfer of data generated or collected within China and imposes heavy fines for violations. Some critics argue that regulations ostensibly aimed at data security could effectively function as tools of control over both companies and individuals.