Centre Finalises Draft Rules For Personal Data Protection Act

Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday informed that the Union government has finalised the rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, saying that it will release them soon for public consultation.

The draft rules will be issued within the next 20 days, and the frameworks will be released in a month, according to the minister. The act was passed around a year ago by parliament, which seeks protection of personal data against breaches. The act also provides specific protection for children and people with disabilities. A child is defined as someone below the age of 18 and the parental consent is required before processing his or her data.

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The implementation was reportedly delayed due to the requirement for additional clauses and rules. Several provisions were also needed in the act. The bill was initially introduced in Parliament on December 11, 2019, with the intention of ensuring the protection of private data belonging to individuals across the country. The bill sought stringent provisions regarding data protection, data sharing, and data storage.

The act makes it illegal to use an individual’s data without their explicit consent for any private or public organisation, highlighting the importance of protecting personal information and including provisions for its use in national security and judicial processes.

However, after considering the public feedback, the government is planning to implement the DPDP Act within this financial year. The act has also drawn criticism, as many fear it would dilute the Right to Information Act. Many have raised concern over the potential impact of the act on politicians, journalists, and activists.

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There were also concerns that a large portion of the act was inadequate, which provides the government unlimited power to use citizens’s data. It is reported that several government entities were exempted from the act because their purpose was to protect the sovereignty, integrity, and security of the state. It is India’s first law to protect personal digital data.