China news site advises India to safeguard 'internet sovereignty'

China's Global Times is known for expressing its mind on burning issues, even if that involves regional rivals India. On Tuesday, March 27, yet another article in the publication spoke about India advising it to rethink the privacy aspect in the wake of the recent data leak allegations - be it in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official app or the country's mega identification scheme Aadhaar.

Titled 'Privacy on India's fast-growing internet needs rethink in terms of sovereignty', the article said with the penetration of internet, leaks of personal information occur more frequently in India, citing the recent controversies over Aadhaar and other apps. It said online privacy is a common problem in emerging economies like China and India need to work faster and harder to address the issue. The Global Times article had a mention about the ongoing Facebook data scandal which has rocked the world, especially the democratic nations, we well.

The article also raised a question over the government's ideal role in securing privacy.

"The question is not a result of economic nationalism or opposition to government procurement, but an issue regarding the government's obligation when it comes to online privacy issues," it said.

The article although conceded that supervision of a fast-growing internet is not easy but also added that the government shouldn't use it as an excuse to evade its responsibilities. It stressed the importance of internet governance and the technical design of certain apps.

Linking information security with national sovereignty, the Global Times article said the developing economies can take a cue from the developed countries on how to protect privacy but it should be aware about its own national safety. It said the Indian legal system has descended from the British system since they had once colonised India and it led to a western practice in dealing with issues like right to privacy. Can the same be applied to uphold internet sovereignty, it asked.

OneIndia News