Personal data protection bill approved; likely to be tabled during monsoon session

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet has approved the Data Protection Bill brought by the Union Government to protect personal data. With this, it is indicated that the bill will be introduced in the monsoon session of the Parliament. The Bill is expected to have a major impact on the privacy and data protection of individuals when it becomes law.

In a case involving consumer privacy, the central government had informed the Supreme Court earlier this year that it was ready to introduce a new data protection bill in Parliament in July. The bill was first introduced in December 2019. The Bill is expected to provide clarity on the security of personal data, data sharing and collection.

The committee that scrutinized the bill raised concerns on several issues and made around 88 amendments. The bill received nearly 21,000 suggestions before the Cabinet approval. It is clear that the bill is for the safety of the users. The bill will clarify how data should be organised, collected and stored.