Digital Personal Data Protection Bill receives Cabinet approval, set for Parliament's monsoon session

However, there have been discussions surrounding the possibility of diluting the original proposals on data privacy within the bill, raising concerns among privacy advocates. It remains to be seen how these concerns will be addressed during the parliamentary proceedings.

The bill prohibits any private or government entity from utilising an individual's data without their explicit consent. It emphasises the need to safeguard personal data and includes provisions for its use in matters of national security and legal proceedings.

The journey of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill began in 2018 when a special expert committee, led by Justice B.N. Srikrishna, formulated the draft legislation. After being presented by the central government in 2019, it was subsequently referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee in December 2021. The decision to withdraw the bill was made to allow the government to incorporate the recommendations of the parliamentary committee into a revised version.

The proposed legislation has garnered significant attention, particularly from prominent social media and technology companies. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill calls for companies collecting data to cease retaining personal information or remove any means by which personal data can be linked to specific data principles.

As the bill awaits Cabinet approval, it remains a subject of interest and debate within the tech and privacy communities. Its passage through the monsoon session of Parliament will be closely watched as it has far-reaching implications for data protection and privacy rights in India.