LS okays data bill; worries on Centre's powers remain

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the landmark Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill amid loud protests from the Opposition

- Gulveen Aulakh & Shouvik Das

The bill, which sets stiff penalties for data breaches, comes six years after the Supreme Court ruled that privacy was a fundamental right. It will now go to the Rajya Sabha for its approval.

The bill was introduced in Parliament by Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister for communications, electronics, and information technology, marking a step towards creating India's first law on data protection and privacy.

Several members of Parliament (MPS) said the bill gives the government excessive powers to block any content on any platform, citing public interest and sweeping exemptions to the government while processing user data without consent.

Some said there was 'excessive centralization of power', with the Centre empowered to exempt any government or private agency from the implications of the law. Some members cautioned that government would decide on appointments to the Data Protection Board, the appellate authority for grievance redressal, which may adversely impact the independent functioning of the board.

Vaishnaw said the bill had been established on the principles of legality, limitation of purpose, data minimization, data accuracy, limitation of storage, reasonable safeguards and accountability.'