On Thursday, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill in Lok Sabha, marking the fifth version of the proposed law after a year since the previous version was withdrawn due to privacy and compliance issues. The bill aims to ensure that the digital personal data of Indian citizens is processed in a manner that respects individuals’ right to protect their data while allowing for lawful data processing. It holds internet companies and businesses accountable for data storage and processing.
However, the bill has drawn criticism from opposition members who have raised concerns about the government’s access to private data, potential surveillance implications, and its impact on the right to privacy. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi expressed apprehensions about the bill empowering the government to access private data, possibly leading to a surveillance state.
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Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi suggested that the bill be referred to the parliamentary standing committee for further evaluation, citing potential infringements on the right to privacy. Trinamool Congress lawmaker Saugata Ray highlighted significant changes in the new bill compared to the original version sent to the committee and urged for another review by the standing committee.
Congress MP Manish Tewari pointed out that the bill contradicts the Supreme Court’s ruling on the fundamental right to privacy in the Puttuswamy judgement. He raised concerns that the bill applies to non-government organisations but exempts the government from its provisions. Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule criticised the excessive centralization of data, asserting that it goes against the spirit of the federal structure and dilutes the Right to Information.
In response to the opposition’s concerns, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the government is open to discussing the issues raised about the bill. The proposed data protection law has been six years in the making and aims to strike a balance between protecting individual data privacy and allowing for legitimate data processing by businesses and organizations. However, the bill’s passage may face further scrutiny and deliberation in the Lok Sabha in light of the opposition’s reservations.
