XPeng Group Unveils Trade Secret Compliance Policy to Strengthen Tech Confidentiality

XPeng Group recently released its "Trade Secret Compliance Management System," establishing a comprehensive trade secret protection framework covering preventive measures before incidents, controls during operations, and accountability after breaches. The system sets forth four core principles—including classified management and minimum necessary access—and designates department heads as the primary persons responsible for confidentiality. The entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding to offboarding, is incorporated into this management system. This includes verifying employees’ non-compete backgrounds during hiring and ensuring the handover of all confidential materials upon departure. The policy applies to R&D, supply chain operations, and the use of AI tools, requiring employees to obtain prior approval before using AI tools and to anonymize sensitive information. Usage logs must be retained for two years and are subject to quarterly audits. The company will choose between patent protection and trade secret protection based on the nature of its technologies, implement tiered controls over suppliers, and employ measures such as encrypted data transmission and digital watermarking to mitigate leakage risks. In the event of a breach, legal, IT, and HR departments will jointly collect evidence—including chat records, system logs, and surveillance footage—and may pursue internal disciplinary actions, labor arbitration, or criminal complaints as appropriate. Additionally, XPeng has established a whistleblower incentive mechanism to protect employees who report concerns in good faith from retaliation.