Data adequacy is a concept primarily referenced under international data transfer mechanisms, especially in GDPR and mirrored in Indian and global privacy frameworks. The idea is that a country can receive personal data from another country if it ensures an 'adequate level of protection'.

This level is determined not by exact replication of laws but by their ''Essential Equivalence'' to the originating country's standards.

The principle of ''Essential Equivalence'' means that although the laws do not have to be identical, they must offer comparable protection in practice. This is the benchmark used by authorities like the EU Commission and reflected in frameworks including DPF.