Rajya Sabha passes Data Protection Bill as Opposition walks out.

Rajya Sabha Passes Digital Personal Data Protection Bill-2023

The Rajya Sabha passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill-2023 with a voice vote on Wednesday. The bill aims to curb the misuse of individuals’ data by online platforms and comes after six years of the Supreme Court declaring “Right to Privacy” as a fundamental right.

Key Provisions of the Bill

• The bill focuses on broad principles such as legality, purpose, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, and accountability.
• It grants citizens rights in relation to their data, including the right to access information, correct data or erasure, grievance redressal, and nomination.
• An independent data protection board will be established, falling under the jurisdiction of the telecom disputes tribunal, with the possibility of appealing to the Supreme Court.

Minister’s Statement

While introducing the bill, I&T Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that extensive inputs were received from various organizations and ministries, with a total of 24,000 comments on the bill. He emphasized that the bill provides rights to citizens and obligations for data-mining organizations.

Opposition Concerns

Some opposition members raised concerns during the debate. BJD MP Amar Patnaik expressed his disappointment with the absence of the words “privacy” and “compensation” in the bill, which were central in the Puttaswamy judgment. YSRCP’s S Niranjan Reddy urged the minister to address the issue of exemptions for start-ups, warning about the potential misuse of data by large data companies through data-mining start-ups.

Conclusion

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill-2023 is a significant piece of legislation in Independent India. It aims to safeguard individuals’ data and provide them with rights over their own information. The establishment of an independent data protection board and the inclusion of various rights ensure accountability and redressal mechanisms. However, concerns raised by opposition members highlight the need for further scrutiny and potential amendments to address key issues.

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