China’s top lawmaking body has begun reviewing draft data security legislation that legal experts say aims to protect individual privacy but also promote the use of government data, reported the South China Morning Post.
It was submitted to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee for the first reading on Sunday, official news agency Xinhua reported.
The draft says that the state will protect “legitimate rights of individuals and organizations” over the use of their data, and “promote the development of the digital economy”, according to the report.
Yue Zhongming, spokesman for the NPC Legislative Affairs Committee, said late last year that the standing committee planned to finish the review by the end of 2020. Lawmakers usually vote on new legislation after three readings.