A law for data protection is absolutely essential. Centre must put out a new draft for public consultations without delay

GoI’s withdrawal of the Data Protection Bill came with the promise that a draft of a new bill would be shared for public comment. It is noteworthy to recall that five years were spent by work on the now-discarded draft law. Such a long period of time for any law does not make good sense for governance, especially in technology-related areas such as ownership, processing, storage and transfer of personal data. .

There are several key stakeholders in this area. First, there are citizens whose personal data must be kept secure in accordance with the fundamental right to privacy recognized by the Supreme Court. Then there are the private tech companies that are amassing huge amounts of personal data through their business activities. Here there needs to be a balance between helping companies grow their businesses and technological prowess against national and personal interests. Then there’s the government that assumes, in the national interest and to tackle crime, the major powers under the draft finalizing in 2019 and 2021 over the control of personal data and will call attacks. public to the Data Protection Authority for which the law has been established.

Harmonizing the interests of these three groups is never an easy task. While everyone welcomed the right to rule on privacy, the opposition found the draft bill put forward by the congressional joint committee alarming enough to shoot dissenting notes. The new GoI effort must try to build on recommendations from the public consultation process and ensure that a tabulated bill can pass civil society, judicial and political scrutiny. treat. It is a difficult task but it can be done.

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