BEIJING: Along with a massive flap over a proposed Internet filter, another lower- key "privacy" controversy is bubbling in China.

The government has had to nix part of a draft state-secrets law after it sparked privacy worries among legislators, reported Beijing-based Caijing Magazine.

The banished clause would have required telecoms and Internet firms to supply the National Administration for Protection of State Secrets, along with police and state security personnel, with information needed for investigations.

This raised the hackles of some lawmakers, who argued that the state-secrets administation was not a law-enforcement agency.

However, the draft retains another clause which had stirred privacy worries - mandating that Internet and telecoms carriers alert the authorities if they detect state secrets being transmitted over their networks.

The Cabinet okayed the original draft in April and public comments are being sought till the end of this month.

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