Editor's Pick: Data Protection Bill to be tabled in Monsoon Session

The Union Govt informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that a new law, namely, the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 endeavouring to enforce individual privacy in online space was “ready”. The bill is expected to be tabled in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament slated for July this year. Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appearing for the Union, conveyed the news to the Constitution bench which was hearing petitions challenging WhatsApp’s policy to share users’ data with the Facebook group of companies. Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, representing the petitioners, sceptically remarked that the government had been giving assurances for months. He urged the court that the hearing not be linked to the legislative process, arguing, that the bill may go to some committee or other. He pointed out that the petitions in question were pending since 2017. To which, the Attorney General stated, “The bill had to go through a qualified consultative process. You have to do that if you want a good law.” In January this, the government, in an affidavit filed in court, stated that the Information Technology Ministry had initiated a stakeholder consultation exercise on the draft Bill, and invited comments from the public. It had briefed the court about being in the process of “collating and analysing the feedback and suggestions received, with a view to take the draft Bill forward”. If passed, the bill would replace the current Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, notified in 2011. The bill would also be in consonance with the apex court’s recognition of privacy as a fundamental right in 2017. It had highlighted the need to protect online personal data from prying eyes. Broadly, it would endeavour to “provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises both the right of individuals to protect their personal data and the need to process personal data for lawful purposes”. The Hindu’s Editorials Change in status: On the national party tag and impact on some political parties Safeguards and procedures: On India’s preventive detention laws The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Where is the country’s first-of-its-kind, 3D-printed post office being built? Kochi Bengaluru Ahmedabad Delhi [logo] Editor's Pick 12 April 2023 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( Data Protection Bill to be tabled in Monsoon Session The Union Govt informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that a new law, namely, the [Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022]( to enforce individual privacy in online space was “ready”. The bill is expected to be tabled in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament slated for July this year. Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appearing for the Union, conveyed the news to the Constitution bench which was hearing petitions challenging WhatsApp’s policy to share users’ data with the Facebook group of companies. Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, representing the petitioners, sceptically remarked that the government had been giving assurances for months. He urged the court that the hearing not be linked to the legislative process, arguing, that the bill may go to some committee or other. He pointed out that the petitions in question were pending since 2017. To which, the Attorney General stated, “The bill had to go through a qualified consultative process. You have to do that if you want a good law.” In January this, the government, in an affidavit filed in court, stated that the Information Technology Ministry had initiated a stakeholder consultation exercise on the draft Bill, and invited comments from the public. It had briefed the court about being in the process of “collating and analysing the feedback and suggestions received, with a view to take the draft Bill forward”. If passed, the bill would replace the current Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, notified in 2011. The bill would also be in consonance with the apex court’s recognition of privacy as a fundamental right in 2017. It had highlighted the need to protect online personal data from prying eyes. Broadly, it would endeavour to “provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises both the right of individuals to protect their personal data and the need to process personal data for lawful purposes”. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Change in status: On the national party tag and impact on some political parties]( [Arrow][Safeguards and procedures: On India’s preventive detention laws]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Where is the country’s first-of-its-kind, 3D-printed post office being built? - Kochi - Bengaluru - Ahmedabad - Delhi [Sign up for free]( Today's Best Reads [[India says Ukraine requested additional medicines, medical equipment] India says Ukraine requested additional medicines, medical equipment]( [[From pitch to politics: cricketer Ambati Rayudu set to start new innings] From pitch to politics: cricketer Ambati Rayudu set to start new innings]( [[FM Nirmala Sitharaman, IMF’s Gita Gopinath meet in U.S., discuss debt vulnerabilities] FM Nirmala Sitharaman, IMF’s Gita Gopinath meet in U.S., discuss debt vulnerabilities]( [[Unfazed India to hold G-20 event in Leh] Unfazed India to hold G-20 event in Leh]( Copyright @ 2023, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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