Thiruvananthapuram | Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday said that beyond digital privacy, citizens should be able to retain ownership and control over their personal data.

He made the observation in a Facebook post regarding his recent meeting with Indian entrepreneur and Congress leader Sam Pitroda in Chicago.

Chennithala said that as people's lives increasingly shift into digital spaces, the question -- "In whose hands do our data lie?" -- demands serious attention.

"Beyond mere privacy, citizens themselves must retain ownership and control over their personal data. At the same time, we must ensure a sense of responsibility within digital spaces alongside freedom of expression," he said in his post.

The minister said that during his meeting with Pitroda they discussed how to harness the talent of Indians across the globe for the nation's development without requiring them to return to the country.

During the discussion, he specifically praised Keralam’s high levels of civic consciousness and literacy and noted the democratic spirit of the people from Keralam, who fly back home solely to cast their votes, was unparalleled.