China allows 19 months to comply with cybersecurity law

China will delay enforcement for 19 months of part of its controversial cybersecurity law, after vigorous complaints from foreign businesses. The Cybersecurity Law takes effect from Thursday but the Cybersecurity Administration, the government body responsible for overseeing it, said a grace period would be given for businesses to comply with cross-border data transfer regulations. The law was passed in November to “defend cyberspace sovereignty, national security and public interests,” according to the central government. But foreign companies and governments complained the law set unfair barriers, ran counter to World Trade Organisation rules, and lacked compliance details. According to the South China Morning Post, one of the biggest concerns is the requirement that all critical data and the data from “critical ­information infrastructure” be saved on the mainland. Such ­information also has to be examined and assessed before being transferred out of the country.