By – Devanshi Srivastava
China’s new data security legislation goes into force on Wednesday, marking the next step in the country’s efforts to tighten control of its massive technology industry.
The vaguely worded legislation aims to tighten the noose around the necks of China’s digital behemoths and what they do with the information collected from their hundreds of millions of users.
It also comes at a time when concerns about data security are growing, particularly as government agencies become more reliant on cloud storage providers.
A broad range of applications:
Beijing has also cited worries over national security as a reason for passing the legislation. Chinese officials are concerned that local data may wind up in the hands of foreign entities as Chinese technology companies expand abroad.
The legislation establishes the obligations of all businesses and organizations that deal with personal data. If you violate the law, you may face penalties of up to ten million yuan ($1.55 million) for a variety of violations, including leaking information and failing to authenticate the identities of purchasers or sellers of information. China’s National Security Law has a wide reach, and it applies to data kept and handled inside the country’s boundaries as well as data stored and handled outside the country that may endanger China’s national security or the rights of its people.