In a momentous move, Union Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented the long-awaited Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The bill aims to address the growing concerns surrounding the privacy and security of digital personal data in the country.
However, the introduction of the bill was met with strong opposition from various members of the opposition, who voiced their apprehensions and claimed that it could potentially infringe upon the fundamental right to privacy. Insisting on a thorough examination, the opposition vehemently demanded that the bill be sent to the standing committee for meticulous scrutiny, accorfing to ANI.
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Highlighting the contentious history of data protection legislation, the opposition criticized the government for having withdrawn a similar bill on data protection the previous year. They argued that the new proposal warranted even more thorough scrutiny before its implementation.
In response to the opposition's concerns, Minister Vaishnaw reassured that the bill is not a money bill, and the government is open to addressing all issues raised during the forthcoming debate. He emphasized that the primary goal of the legislation is to strike a delicate balance between respecting individuals' right to safeguard their personal data and ensuring the lawful processing of such data for essential purposes.
