Cellphone info tests government's data security

• Source: Global Times
• [22:42 September 09 2010]
• Comments

As anyone who has a Chinese cellphone knows, spam calls and texts are a daily occurrence, and Chinese marketing tactics are observed in all their glory in this essentially unregulated environment.

However, as in other nations, the possibility of such a large amount of personal data being collected and stored in one place posits major security concerns. For many Chinese, their personal identifi cation number and their cellphone details are their two most important pieces of personal information, and through these many of their moves could be tracked and logged. Government should ensure that the necessary checks and balances are in place to prevent loss or inappropriate access any data gathered.

Similar concerns arose in the UK when Tony Blair's government attempted to construct a National Health Service (NHS) database. The centralized system would have contained the medical history of nearly every UK citizen, and was met with strong resistance in some quarters.

Amid fierce criticism, poor project management and a near total lack of support from NHS staff, the scheme floundered - a classic government "White Elephant."

The overwhelming majority of China's 800 million cellphone users will welcome the potential reduction in mobile spam, cold calling and other daily irritations.

However, like other countries, China faces more profound challenges in terms of managing the trend toward greater retention of private data by public or private bodies without compromise the rights of the individual.

China's legal architecture is also not yet capable of guaranteeing the security of sensitive or protected information.

And this begins with the government putting in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure all data is safe and secure, from the quality of software used to the ethical integrity of information storage systems.

The author is a Beijing-based freelance writer specializing in Chinese political economy. sigmills@hotmail.com