Data Bill to make social media companies accountable, fortify IT industry: IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

DPDP) Bill that the Rajya Sabha cleared on Wednesday will make social media companies operating in India more accountable, boost the business of the IT industry and change the way organisations process data of Indians, minister for electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The exemptions that are given to the government under the proposed law are far fewer than what the European privacy law provides, he told Aashish Aryan & Surabhi Agarwal in an interview. Edited excerpts.How will having a privacy law further cement India’s position as tech powerhouse of the world? It will mean a lot for the Indian IT industry, which will find better traction all over the world.

There were many instances where the global customers of the IT industry were earlier questioning if India has a proper data protection regime. This will also make global social media platforms accountable. They will be bound by the same rules that Indian companies will be bound by.

They will also have to implement measures for protection of the personal data of Indians. Overall, there will be a significant behavioural change in the organisations that collect and process data. Sharing of data, which happens between organisations, will certainly change.Some of the concerns that have been raised by experts, lawyers and opposition parties are around the exemptions the government has taken for itself. How would you respond to that? The exemptions for the government are exactly within the framework of the Constitution of India.