Union Cabinet clears Personal Data Protection Bill, awaits passage in Parliament: Report

After its introduction in November 2022, the Bill underwent a series of public consultations to gather valuable feedback. Incorporating the inputs received during these consultations, a revised draft was meticulously prepared.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (July 5) cleared the Personal Data Protection Bill which can now be tabled in the Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon session, reports said. In June this year, Union Minister of State for IT and Electronics Rajeev Chandrashekhar gave his opinions on the upcoming data protection Bill in India.

The Union minister emphasised how this legislation has the ability to significantly alter platform activity that has long been characterised by the exploitation or abuse of personal data. The initial version of the Bill was introduced in November, and subsequently, it underwent several rounds of public consultations.

Taking into account the feedback received during these consultations, a revised draft was prepared. This revised draft then went through further discussions among various ministries.

Speaking to a news organisation, the minister shared his thoughts on concerns regarding a government-appointed fact-check body. He emphasised the importance of allowing the government to respond to false information that may incite violence, hatred, or mistrust towards the government.

He further highlighted the distinction between misinformation and the right to free speech, pointing out that misinformation tends to spread much faster and reaches a significantly larger audience compared to the truth.

After its introduction in November 2022, the Bill underwent a series of public consultations to gather valuable feedback. Incorporating the inputs received during these consultations, a revised draft was meticulously prepared. This revised version then underwent extensive discussions and deliberations among multiple ministries to ensure comprehensive consideration of all aspects.