Undervaluing privacy
9 years, 8 months ago

Undervaluing privacy

The Hindu  

The Attorney General’s contention in the Supreme Court that privacy is not a fundamental right is disquieting in the context of the ongoing debate over the implications of the collection of biometric data from citizens. However, the government’s stand may give rise to the doubt whether it is truly committed to protecting its citizens from violations of their privacy by the unauthorised use of information provided by them. In recent years, owing to technological developments and emerging administrative challenges, several national programmes and schemes are being implemented through information technology platforms, using computerised data collected from citizens. Such a law, it said, should recognise all dimensions of the right to privacy and address concerns about data safety, protection from unauthorised interception, surveillance, use of personal identifiers and bodily privacy.

Privacy Data  citizens  unauthorised  fundamental  collection  information  right  data  privacy  protect  undervaluing  personal

History of this topic

DC Edit | Ensure Citizens’ Data Protected
1 week, 3 days ago

DC Edit | Ensure Citizens’ Data Protected

Deccan Chronicle  

The decision of the Election Commission of India to discuss the possibility of linking elector photo identity card to Aadhaar number of all the voters with the Union government is to be welcomed as it forms part of the poll body’s efforts to make the election process foolproof. The need to come up with a better system to maintain the …

Any Vulnerability In Aadhaar Database Can Lead To Misuse Of Personal & Financial Info, Strengthening Security Framework Need Of Hour: Orissa HC
1 month ago

Any Vulnerability In Aadhaar Database Can Lead To Misuse Of Personal & Financial Info, Strengthening Security Framework Need Of Hour: Orissa HC

Live Law  

The Orissa High Court has flagged the issue of misuse of Aadhaar details due to inadequate cybersecurity measures and has called for strengthening its security framework by implementing state-of-the-art encryption, multi-layered authentication protocols and stringent access controls. The Single Bench of Dr. Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi made the observations while hearing a challenge made by Ex-Member of Parliament Tathagata Satapathy …

Data protection rules and Act, a net negative for privacy rights
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Data protection rules and Act, a net negative for privacy rights

The Hindu  

Around eight years since the judgment of the Supreme Court of India, in Justice K.S. Despite the Digital Personal Data Protection Act having been notified in August 2023, its provisions remain inoperative due to the delay in the notification of the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules Rules. ‘Significant Data Fiduciaries’, which are entities classified as such due to the volume …

Private companies can use Aadhaar infrastructure for identity checks again
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Private companies can use Aadhaar infrastructure for identity checks again

Live Mint  

As the Aadhaar case was reaching the Supreme Court, the Unique Identity Authority of India began to restrict private access to its authentication infrastructure. A new amendment to Aadhaar authentication rules could finally allow us to leverage our identity infrastructure to better unlock greater efficiencies in digital services. In fact, it is Section 8 that deals with authentication, and since …

Private entities can now use Aadhaar authentication
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Private entities can now use Aadhaar authentication

Hindustan Times  

The Union government has amended the Aadhaar rules to allow private entities to use Aadhaar authentication for delivering their services, the ministry of electronics and IT said in a statement on Friday, adding the amendments seek to promote “ease of living” to residents and enable “better access to services” to them. Private entities can now use Aadhar authentication The ministry …

UIDAI notifies rules for private entities to perform Aadhaar authentication
1 month, 3 weeks ago

UIDAI notifies rules for private entities to perform Aadhaar authentication

The Hindu  

The Unique Identification Authority of India on Friday outlined a process for private entities to gain access to Aadhaar authentication: namely, the firms will have to refer their use case to a Union or State government Ministry or department, which will then have to refer the proposal to the UIDAI. “The Ministry or the Department of the Government of India …

New Digital Rules Let You Wipe All Your Details Online
1 month, 3 weeks ago

New Digital Rules Let You Wipe All Your Details Online

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Can a customer walk into a multinational company like Amazon and ask it to remove all her information from the company's database? With the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 released in public domain seeking comments and feedback, the citizens can now look forward to a framework through which they can exercise their right to privacy. The rules …

Mint Quick Edit | India’s new privacy rules: A mixed bag
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Mint Quick Edit | India’s new privacy rules: A mixed bag

Live Mint  

More than a year after the Digital Personal Data Protection Act was passed, the government has released the draft rules that will enable this law’s implementation. While the rules are expansive, their requirement of parental consent for under-18-year-olds to join social media and gaming platforms could deliver a pragmatic age-gating regime. That said, the return of data localization requirements will …

No secret affair: on the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025
2 months, 3 weeks ago

No secret affair: on the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025

The Hindu  

The draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, is a long overdue advance in the direction of enforcing the fundamental right to informational privacy for Indians, affirmed by the Supreme Court of India in the landmark case, Justice K.S. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, which these draft rules seek to enforce, was passed in Parliament over a year ago. …

The legal gaps in India’s unregulated AI surveillance
3 months, 1 week ago

The legal gaps in India’s unregulated AI surveillance

The Hindu  

In 2019, the Indian government made headlines by announcing its intention to create the world’s largest facial recognition system for policing. The use of AI for surveillance has global parallels, often resulting in “dragnet surveillance”, a term that refers to indiscriminate data collection beyond just suspects or criminals. This article explores the legal frameworks, gaps, and concerns surrounding AI surveillance …

Anonymized medical data should be given an additional privacy shield
3 months, 1 week ago

Anonymized medical data should be given an additional privacy shield

Live Mint  

When I first saw the original blueprint of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission, the feature that really jumped out at me was its anonymizer module. This was the first time that a digital building block designed to de-identify personal data was being built directly into the digital workflow and I was excited by the possibilities that this offered. But, …

Privacy as priority: India can’t afford any further delay in notifying data protection rules
3 months, 1 week ago

Privacy as priority: India can’t afford any further delay in notifying data protection rules

Live Mint  

A few days ago, Signzy, a popular Know Your Customer verification service used by India’s top banks and fintech firms, was affected by a cyber attack that may have exposed the sensitive personal information of millions. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act was passed six years after the Right to Privacy verdict in 2017. The Digital India Act, touted as …

India to introduce new legal framework for data privacy, free data flow: Piyush Goyal
4 months ago

India to introduce new legal framework for data privacy, free data flow: Piyush Goyal

Live Mint  

New Delhi, Novemeber 22 : Union Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India is set to bring in a new legal framework to ensure data privacy while promoting the free flow of data among trusted global partners. The minister stated this during his address at the UK India Business Council's 'UK-India Technology Futures Conference' held in New Delhi on Thursday. In …

No Public Interest In Keeping Information Alive On Internet After Quashing Of FIR: Delhi High Court On Right To Be Forgotten
4 months ago

No Public Interest In Keeping Information Alive On Internet After Quashing Of FIR: Delhi High Court On Right To Be Forgotten

Live Law  

Observing that it is important to balance the right to information of public with an individual's right to privacy, the Delhi High Court has said that no public interest can be served by keeping the information alive on the internet after quashing of criminal proceedings.“There is no reason why an individual who has been duly cleared of any guilt by …

Forensic Access to Aadhaar Data: Balancing Privacy and Identifying the Unknown
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Forensic Access to Aadhaar Data: Balancing Privacy and Identifying the Unknown

The Hindu  

The article discusses the limitations of the Aadhaar Act's restrictions on the disclosure of core biometric information in the context of identifying deceased individuals. It highlights the dilemma faced by law enforcement agencies when accessing fingerprint data from the Aadhaar database in cases where the body is unidentified. The article argues that providing access to fingerprint data based on a …

Bengaluru firm SISA Infosec secures Patent for Innovative Aadhaar Data Management Systems
8 months, 1 week ago

Bengaluru firm SISA Infosec secures Patent for Innovative Aadhaar Data Management Systems

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: After sustained efforts, the Bengaluru-based cybersecurity firm SISA Infosec has been awarded a government patent for a groundbreaking system designed to manage Aadhaar data, marking a significant advancement in data security and compliance technology. The newly patented system, known as the SISA Radar Aadhaar Data Discovery Engine, aims to transform how organisations handle sensitive Aadhaar information, ensuring adherence …

Ludhiana: Protect student’s Aadhaar data or face action, govt schools told
11 months, 1 week ago

Ludhiana: Protect student’s Aadhaar data or face action, govt schools told

Hindustan Times  

The state’s school education department issued an order adopting a strict stance to maintain the confidentiality of students’ Aadhaar data. The letter also warns of strict action in case an incident of Aadhaar data being made public, either by any district education officer or school head comes to light. In a letter issued to all district education officers and school …

Corporate boards should foster a culture of data privacy in organizations
1 year ago

Corporate boards should foster a culture of data privacy in organizations

Live Mint  

The digital age has ushered in a new era of responsibility—to safeguard the core of our online existence: our data. In acknowledging the role of data privacy being integral to corporate governance and risk management, the board has a crucial role in not only ensuring that the enterprise meets legal obligations, but also establishing a bedrock of trust under its …

How safe is our personal health data with the Indian government? | In Focus podcast
1 year, 4 months ago

How safe is our personal health data with the Indian government? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

Just about a month ago, Rescurity, an American cyber security firm, said that personal information of 815 million Indians was being sold on the dark web. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences – AIIMS in Delhi has also been hit by cyber attacks – in one ransomware case, the hackers took over the servers, encrypted the data, and made …

DC Edit | India must secure phone privacy for all citizens
1 year, 4 months ago

DC Edit | India must secure phone privacy for all citizens

Deccan Chronicle  

When a group of publicly known citizens raised the issue of their mobile phones being possibly under attack from potentially State- The prominent personalities in politics who came out after receiving this Apple alert on their phones, or emails, connected to their Apple IDs, are predominantly from the Opposition, and have been known critics of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. …

Government rebuffs Moody’s Aadhaar views; says a billion Indians trust it
1 year, 6 months ago

Government rebuffs Moody’s Aadhaar views; says a billion Indians trust it

The Hindu  

The Electronics and IT Ministry late on September 25 took on a report from Moody’s Investors Service that raised questions about the efficacy of Aadhaar and asserted that there have been no breaches reported from the unique ID system’s database till date to dismiss concerns about security and privacy in a centralised system. In a note titled “Aadhaar, the most …

Navigating the complex landscape of data privacy laws in India
1 year, 6 months ago

Navigating the complex landscape of data privacy laws in India

Hindustan Times  

In an era where data is hailed as the "new oil," the need for strong data privacy laws has never been more critical. India, too, has stepped up its game in this regard with the introduction of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Compliance with data protection laws, such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 in India, …

Bihar caste survey | No Supreme Court stay on publication of data
1 year, 7 months ago

Bihar caste survey | No Supreme Court stay on publication of data

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the uploading of data collected in the recently concluded Bihar caste-based survey while debunking claims that the Nitish Kumar government has violated the fundamental right to privacy by compelling people to reveal their caste. Vaidyanathan, who appeared for the NGO, Youth for Equality, against the survey, said that people could not be …

Personal Data Protection: How India's Law Looks Compared to EU's Regulations
1 year, 7 months ago

Personal Data Protection: How India's Law Looks Compared to EU's Regulations

The Quint  

DPDPA seeks “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 such personal data for lawful purposes and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto,” as mentioned at the beginning of the legislation. In August 2017, when the nine-judge bench …

Word choice in India’s data protection law and a dilution of rights
1 year, 7 months ago

Word choice in India’s data protection law and a dilution of rights

The Hindu  

After years of going back and forth on its contents, India finally has a data protection law, i.e., the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. In the search for an answer to this question, we need to look at two basic features of any data protection law: the use of personal data with consent and without it. As decades of …

Explained: India's new Digital Personal Data Protection framework
1 year, 7 months ago

Explained: India's new Digital Personal Data Protection framework

Hindustan Times  

A new law that defines how companies should process users' data came into force with the President giving assent to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act passed by Parliament in the just-concluded monsoon session. Digital Personal Data Protection law has been notified by government. Entities must protect personal data in their possession by taking reasonable security safeguards to prevent a …

Satire India new Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 policy highlights
1 year, 7 months ago

Satire India new Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 policy highlights

The Hindu  

First of all, kudos to the Mother of Democracy for setting new world records every day for fastest-ever law-making. Did you know the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 zipped through Parliament faster than a bullet train? There was no nonsense like ‘informed consent’ because they knew that all individual streams of data merge eventually with the Annadata — ‘the …

Legal framework for privacy as RS clears digital data bill
1 year, 7 months ago

Legal framework for privacy as RS clears digital data bill

Hindustan Times  

The Rajya Sabha passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 on Wednesday, clearing the way for what will be the first legal framework for privacy, close to six years after it was held as a fundamental right for Indians by the Supreme Court. While it is unlikely to take long for the bill to receive presidential assent — at …

Data market’s future hinges on regulation
1 year, 7 months ago

Data market’s future hinges on regulation

Hindustan Times  

In 1776, when Adam Smith — arguably the most ardent champion of market economics — argued in favour of the invisible hand, there was no telephone, no broadband and no digital data coursing through cables or air waves. Several economists, including Hal Varian, the chief economist of Google, are swayed by the efficiency hypothesis while others liken data to oil …

India passes data protection legislation in Parliament. Critics fear privacy violation
1 year, 7 months ago

India passes data protection legislation in Parliament. Critics fear privacy violation

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — Indian lawmakers Wednesday approved a data protection legislation that “seeks to better regulate big tech firms and penalize companies for data breaches” as several groups expressed concern over citizens’ privacy rights. The legislation will limit cross-border transfer of data and provide a framework for setting up a data protection authority to ensure compliance from tech companies, Information …

India passes data protection bill amid surveillance concerns
1 year, 7 months ago

India passes data protection bill amid surveillance concerns

Al Jazeera  

The new law has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers and rights groups over the scope of exemptions, weakening gov’t accountability. Indian lawmakers have passed a data protection law that will dictate how tech companies process users’ data amid criticism that it will likely lead to increased surveillance by the government. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 gives the government …

Indranil Banerjie | A Law to Protect Citizens, Or To Help in State Snooping?
1 year, 7 months ago

Indranil Banerjie | A Law to Protect Citizens, Or To Help in State Snooping?

Deccan Chronicle  

In today’s digital age, privacy is a chimera -- the reality is that every intimate detail of our lives, from our eating and spending patterns to medical and financial details, are digitally recorded in some computer somewhere in the vast cloud and can therefore be potentially exposed. The idea of a digital data protection law had become imperative given the …

Explained: What is the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023?
1 year, 7 months ago

Explained: What is the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023?

Live Mint  

On 3 August, the long-awaited and much-debated Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 was introduced in the Lok Sabha. On 7 August, the Lok Sabha passed the bill, which aims 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 such …

Indians raise concerns over data compromises by govt and telcos: Report
1 year, 7 months ago

Indians raise concerns over data compromises by govt and telcos: Report

India TV News  

Ahead of the expected tabling of the Digital Personal Data Protection bill in Parliament on August 3, a new report highlights the concerns of Indian citizens regarding data breaches. Among those who believed their personal data had been leaked, 72% mentioned their mobile numbers, 63% cited email addresses, 53% referred to Aadhaar numbers, and 50% indicated PAN card numbers. Regarding …

Manish Tewari | Build legal framework for intel to safeguard privacy
1 year, 7 months ago

Manish Tewari | Build legal framework for intel to safeguard privacy

Deccan Chronicle  

The perpetual clash between the idea of security and the idea of privacy is a battle that animates the soul of all democratic institutions. One of the biggest problems in India is that both law enforcement agencies and intelligence organisations have no sound legal basis. Thus, owing to its universal acceptability, and a belief carried out from a legal obligation …

New Data Protection Bill receives Cabinet's green light: Here's all you need to know
1 year, 8 months ago

New Data Protection Bill receives Cabinet's green light: Here's all you need to know

India TV News  

India's ongoing efforts to protect privacy and personal data have gained significance in light of the Supreme Court's recognition of privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. The need for a robust data protection law became apparent following incidents of data breaches and unauthorized use of personal information by entities before stricter regulations were imposed globally. …

India’s shield of privacy should reflect Article 21
1 year, 8 months ago

India’s shield of privacy should reflect Article 21

Live Mint  

The monsoon session of Indian Parliament will likely take up a bill framed in response to the Supreme Court ruling of 24 August 2017 that said privacy is a fundamental right. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, a draft of which was published last year to replace an unwieldy earlier proposal, got Cabinet approval this week as part of the …

Fix govt accountability for personal data leaks
1 year, 9 months ago

Fix govt accountability for personal data leaks

Hindustan Times  

Privacy – that elusive fundamental right – is again under the spotlight with reports of a possible breach of CoWIN data of individuals. Two provisions under the Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 43A and Section 72A – encompass personal data protection in India. Pursuant to the Puttaswamy judgment of 2017, the central government released multiple drafts of the proposed …

Expanding Aadhaar to private entities is risky
1 year, 10 months ago

Expanding Aadhaar to private entities is risky

Hindustan Times  

In a landmark 4-1 verdict in 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Aadhaar Act, 2016, but struck down section 57, which allowed the use of Aadhaar authentication and E-KYC by private companies to establish an identity for delivering services. Explaining its ruling, the top court said that the section struck at the heart of an individual’s privacy, …

Secure Aadhaar data from misuse
1 year, 11 months ago

Secure Aadhaar data from misuse

Hindustan Times  

Last week, the government proposed to tweak rules regarding Aadhaar to allow entities other than the government for identity verification, a report in this newspaper noted. However, in 2019, the government tweaked the Aadhaar Act to allow some private companies — telecom providers and financial institutions — to seek Aadhaar voluntarily. The scale, and the associated problems of privacy and …

10 Important Data Protection Practices To Keep In Mind For A Startup In India
2 years ago

10 Important Data Protection Practices To Keep In Mind For A Startup In India

Live Law  

Recent years have seen a digital boom worldwide resulting in the explosion of digital data collection and distribution. In this regard, the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 has been proposed which will ensure fair use and disposal of digital personal data collected online and offline in India and also outside India by companies offering goods and services to individuals …

India’s Sudden Reversal on Privacy Will Affect the Global Internet
2 years, 6 months ago

India’s Sudden Reversal on Privacy Will Affect the Global Internet

Slate  

Recently, India, home to more than 1.3 billion people, withdrew its data protection bill—signaling yet another setback in global efforts to protect people’s data privacy. Owing to India’s unique position on the geopolitical stage—the second most populated country on the planet, the site of a burgeoning and multihundred-billion-dollar tech sector, a nation celebrating 75 years of independence from British rule—the …

‘Puttaswamy’ and the fading promise of a right
2 years, 7 months ago

‘Puttaswamy’ and the fading promise of a right

The Hindu  

August 24 has passed, marking five years since a nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India delivered a crucial judgment in the case of Justice K.S. The judgment delivered on that date formally recognised the right to privacy as being a fundamental right stemming from the right to life and personal liberty, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian …

As IRCTC Mulls Data Monetisation, There Is an Urgent Need for Data Privacy Rules
2 years, 7 months ago

As IRCTC Mulls Data Monetisation, There Is an Urgent Need for Data Privacy Rules

The Quint  

Both these moves have sparked a new line of debate about the data privacy issues. The recent withdrawal of the Personal Data Protection Bill by the government, citing more comprehensive legislation, has also triggered concerns as data privacy remains guided by the provisions of the Information Technology Amendment Act 2008 and the related rules of 2011, and are found to …

Handle personal data with care
2 years, 7 months ago

Handle personal data with care

Hindustan Times  

The government on Monday notified the Passenger Name Record Information Regulations, 2022, making it mandatory for any operating flight to share details of international travellers with a customs agency. As safeguards, the notification says such data will be subject to privacy laws in force, avoid certain types of information and be processed only within a secure system. While little is …

Personal Data Protection Bill withdrawn to bring contemporary, modern legal framework, says Ashwini Vaishnaw
2 years, 7 months ago

Personal Data Protection Bill withdrawn to bring contemporary, modern legal framework, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Firstpost  

The 2019 Bill sought to bring a strong and robust data protection framework for India and to set up an Authority for protecting personal data and empowering the citizens’ with rights relating to their personal data ensuring their fundamental right to privacy and protection of personal data New Delhi: Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday explained …

India withdraws data protection and privacy bill
2 years, 7 months ago

India withdraws data protection and privacy bill

Al Jazeera  

The 2019 law had proposed stringent regulations on cross-border data flows, but had raised concerns among tech giants. India’s government has withdrawn a data protection and privacy bill which was first proposed in 2019 and had alarmed big technology companies such as Facebook and Google, announcing it was working on a new comprehensive law. A government notice on Wednesday said …

No breach in Aadhaar data vault till now, must be cautious: Centre in Rajya Sabha
2 years, 7 months ago

No breach in Aadhaar data vault till now, must be cautious: Centre in Rajya Sabha

Hindustan Times  

There has been no breach of Unique Identification Authority of India’s Aadhaar data vault, Union minister of electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Rajya Sabha on Monday. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was responding to questions raised by CPI MP Binoy Viswam on whether the Centre has considered the recent CAG report that questioned the encryption method and procedure …

Will the Aadhaar fiasco pave the way for a stronger Data Protection Bill?
2 years, 9 months ago

Will the Aadhaar fiasco pave the way for a stronger Data Protection Bill?

The Hindu  

Published : Jun 12, 2022 18:00 IST On the 88th episode of his monthly radio programme “Mann Ki Baat” on April 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke glowingly about how small online payments had helped the growth of the digital economy. The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, which leaned heavily on the Srikrishna Committee report, was introduced in the Lok …

DC Edit | Volte-face and quick fixes can’t protect Indians’ data
2 years, 9 months ago

DC Edit | Volte-face and quick fixes can’t protect Indians’ data

Deccan Chronicle  

The confusing communications from the Union government on Aadhaar or the unique identification number, and the angst and disquiet these caused to the people, are the result of the ad hoc approach it has taken to the implementation of the whole project since its very inception. Recently, it withdrew a notification asking Aadhaar card holders not to share the number …

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