Govt withdraws Data Protection Bill, 2021 from Lok Sabha
The move came after the Joint Parliamentary Committee had proposed 81 amendments and 12 recommendations for a 'comprehensive legal framework'.
FollowThe Narendra Modi government on Wednesday withdrew the Personal Data Protection Bill in Parliament, after a Joint Parliamentary Committee formed earlier proposed major changes.
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The JPC had proposed 81 amendments and 12 recommendations for a 'comprehensive legal framework'. Sources said that the Centre will now present a new bill that fits into the comprehensive legal framework. The Bill provides for protection of the digital privacy of individuals relating to their personal data, to specify the flow and usage of data and create a relationship of trust between persons and entitites processing the data.
The Bill also seeks to protect the rights of individuals whose data are processed and create a framework for organisational and technical measures in processing of data besides laying down notms for social media platforms., cross-border transfer, accountability of entities processing dataamd remdies for unauthorised and harmful processing.
In a statement, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliamentarians that a comprehensive legal framework is being worked upon considering the JPC report.
Union Minister of State for Electronics & Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2021 from Parliament will soon be replaced by a comprehensive framework of global standard laws, including digital privacy laws for contemporary and future challenges and catalyze Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision.
Even as the Bill was under consideration by the JPC, it was drawing criticism from industry stakeholders and activists who claimed that the Bill did not respect the fundamental right to privacy and was prioritising the interests of big corporations.
The Opposition had criticised the Data Protection Bill in its current form on the grounds that certain provisions of the Bill gave unrestricted powers to the state and its agencies for use of personal data.
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