Government Likely To Unveil Personal Data Bill Rules In Two Weeks

The Centre may release the administrative rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules within two weeks and likely notify the final version of the Bill by the end of next month.

On Wednesday (December 20), executives from social media and internet intermediaries met with senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The discussions focused on crucial topics including child gating, the formulation of consent architecture, and the delineation of rights and obligations for data principals, ET reported.

After several years of waiting, India got its data protection law earlier this year. The DPDP Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 7 and in the Rajya Sabha two days later. On August 11, President Droupadi Murmu finally granted her assent to the Bill to become an Act.

The DPDP Act directs setting up a Data Protection Board of India to ensure its implementation. In case of any personal data breach, the board will be responsible for looking into the matter, inquiring into the breach and imposing penalties.

The DPDP Act seeks to protect the privacy of Indian citizens. In case of any breach for misusing citizens’ data or failing to protect the digital data of individuals, the Act proposes a penalty of up to INR 250 Cr on entities.

The Act not only offers transparency to users regarding how corporations can utilise their data but also provides clear guidelines for companies, including startups, on how they should handle users’ personal data and obtain consent.

Earlier Inc42 reported that the government was looking at a phased implementation of the act. Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that certain government entities, such as those at the panchayat level, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and early-stage startups, might be eligible for exemptions and won’t fall under the scope of the DPDP Act right away.

Meanwhile, the central government has also started the process of preparing regulations for artificial intelligence (AI) to support its growth, safeguard interests and encourage innovation in this evolving technology in India.