Data localisation, adapted by China and Russia, is often pitted against the risks that the free flow of data may pose to citizens. This is a false dichotomy.
While India’s government has listened to the opposition regarding its data protection law, the Bangladesh government has brushed aside the civil society’s concerns about a similar bill and published a third draft with further expansion of authoritative controls over personal data and privacy.
The politicisation and divergence of data governance regimes threaten to create a spaghetti bowl of incompatible systems. The world needs a ‘Bretton Woods for data’ to pave the way for an institution to set rules on data governance and create a workable framework to govern digital matters and disputes.
The Data Protection Act promises to ensure privacy and safeguard personal data but are there other factors at play here? The Business Standard sat down with Syed Almas Kabir, President, Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), for his take on the act