When China watches you: Why India needs a personal data protection law

The data reportedly accessed by the Chinese company is largely available in the public domain and a personal data protection law would've safeguarded it

The brouhaha over a Chinese tech company reportedly monitoring personal data of some Indian politicians and policy makers highlights the need for dedicated laws to protect personal data of the country's citizen. The data reportedly accessed by the Chinese company is largely available in public domain, and not considered as sensitive personal data. However, cyber law experts point out most of the personal data freely available in the public domain are leaked online without the consent of the concerned individual. That is where the presence of personal data protection law could help make individuals more aware of their data privacy