China's regulator stresses protection of data security

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has urged enhanced protection of data in the telecom and internet sectors as risks including data leaks and abuse have become major public concerns.

A notification issued by the MIIT called for strengthening targeted campaigns on online data security and assessing whether data management meets regulatory requirements.

China will also accelerate the building of institutions and standards for data security and improve technology support to enhance data protection, according to the notice.

The MIIT called on local regulators as well as major telecom and internet companies to fully realize the importance and urgency of data protection and work out detailed plans for the tasks listed in the notice.

As China's population using the internet surges, online data security has become a major public concern, prompting authorities to tighten regulation to prevent illegal data leaks and abuse.