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The Personal Data Protection Bill 2018, which was drafted by a high-level expert group headed by former Supreme Court judge BN Srikrishna, is likely to be placed before Parliament soon, the official said.
The US government and American companies have been opposed to India’s data localisation policy and have been putting pressure on the government to dilute its rules. “The Bill is an attempt to balance India’s national interests and global image,” the official said.
The government has also recently been in the midst of a controversy involving social media company WhatsApp which admitted that Indian journalists and human rights activists were among 1,400 users who were globally spied upon by unnamed entities using an Israeli sypware called Pegasus.
Meanwhile, analysts and industry veterans have welcomed the much awaited step by the government.
“Data protection is an important pillar for the future growth of Indian digital economy. The adoption of the new proposed Bill by the Cabinet is a new dawn for the digitally connected Indians. The government will have to maintain a golden balance between protection of personal data and digital liberties connected of sovereign interests of the government on the other hand. The proposed Bill should also be seen as an instrument to promote and protect Indian cyber sovereignty,” said Pavan Duggal, a cyber law expert.
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