The challenge of policing digital giants
3 days, 4 hours ago

The challenge of policing digital giants

The Hindu  

On November 18, 2024, the Competition Commission of India issued a landmark order imposing a fine of ₹213.14 crore and forcing several behavioural remedies on Meta. This update required users to mandatorily consent to expanded data-sharing, allowing Meta to provide access to such data to all of its other platforms; forcing users to accept a data-sharing agreement on a “take-it-or-leave-it” basis, combined with the competitive advantage this data provides in online digital display advertising, constitutes an abuse of dominant position. The Majority Staff Report on ‘Competition in Digital Markets’ highlighted the urgent need to reform antitrust laws to address the unprecedented market power of tech giants. In Europe, the Facebook-Germany case stands out, where the Bundeskartellamt found Meta had abused its dominant position by combining user data from various sources without explicit consent, violating both European Union competition law and the General Data Protection Regulation. India could draw inspiration from the EU’s integration of competition law with the Digital Markets Act and GDPR to create frameworks that tackle data exploitation and anti-competitive practices comprehensively.

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History of this topic

Telecom tribunal reforms to handle data protection pleas
4 days, 4 hours ago

Telecom tribunal reforms to handle data protection pleas

The Hindu  

In early January this year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology released the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. These are the appointment of a technical member with expertise in data protection; increased capacity to swiftly dispose of appeals, and, technological updates to process digital filings. These include the appointment …

Digital competition law needed but discussion are necessary on best practices, says minister Malhotra
1 week ago

Digital competition law needed but discussion are necessary on best practices, says minister Malhotra

Live Mint  

New Delhi: The government is keen to bring in a new law to ensure fair competition in digital markets but further discussions are needed to ensure that global best practices are adapted to Indian market requirements, minister of state for corporate affairs Harsh Malhotra said on Sunday. Speaking at the national conference on economics and competition law organised by the …

NCLAT admits Meta’s appeal against CCI’s data-sharing ban, ₹213 crore fine
2 months, 1 week ago

NCLAT admits Meta’s appeal against CCI’s data-sharing ban, ₹213 crore fine

Live Mint  

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Thursday admitted Meta Platforms' appeal against an order by India's competition regulator, which imposed a five-year ban on the company's data-sharing practices in the country and slapped a ₹213.14 crore fine for allegedly abusing its dominant position. The order imposed a penalty of ₹213.14 crore for allegedly abusing Meta's dominant position in relation …

Bill to take charge of India’s digital destiny
2 months, 1 week ago

Bill to take charge of India’s digital destiny

Hindustan Times  

You wake up, pour yourself a coffee, and scroll through your phone. But what if every app and website you’ve ever used — Instagram, Amazon, or even that odd e-store — was quietly rifling through your personal data without asking you? India’s proposed Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 aim to ensure this nightmare doesn’t become your daily reality. Localisation …

India’s data protection rules need some fine-tuning
2 months, 1 week ago

India’s data protection rules need some fine-tuning

The Hindu  

On January 3, 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology released the much-anticipated Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules — a key moment in India’s journey to regulate digital personal data. The draft rules represent a departure from the earlier and controversial Personal Data Protection Bill, which many deemed was overly restrictive and even hostile to industry interests. While …

Digital Personal Data Protection Draft Rules: What Are the Sticking Points?
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Digital Personal Data Protection Draft Rules: What Are the Sticking Points?

The Quint  

In 2023, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act was passed by the Parliament. The Act passed after questions were raised with regard to the protection of data and its regulation within the Indian territory and the Act was passed to safeguard the private sphere of the citizens and to push through the idea of ‘digital economy’. In response to the …

Rollout of Data Rules set for mid-2025: IT Minister
Trending News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Rollout of Data Rules set for mid-2025: IT Minister

The Hindu  

The government is aiming to notify and begin implementing the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 — currently in a draft state — by the middle of this year, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said. “I don’t see too many amendments coming in the final notification beyond some tweaks.” While large firms are prepared to comply …

Well-equipped data protection board a must to enforce digital privacy laws, say experts
Top News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Well-equipped data protection board a must to enforce digital privacy laws, say experts

Live Mint  

New Delhi: The draft rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, published on Friday, have ignited discussions among legal and data privacy experts regarding the effective implementation of the law. “Provisions for criminal liability in cases of severe data breaches could go a long way in ensuring stricter compliance," said Nazneen Ichhaporia, partner at ANB Legal. On 3 January, …

No secret affair: on the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025
2 months, 2 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. …

India’s Digital Data Protection rules: A story of hits and misses
2 months, 2 weeks ago

India’s Digital Data Protection rules: A story of hits and misses

Live Mint  

The draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules are finally with us and the long wait has for the most part been worth it. While the Act requires data fiduciaries to provide notice “in the event of" a personal breach, the rules state that intimation must be made “as soon as the Data Fiduciary becomes aware of it." Ever since Justice …

Data protection rules: India Inc says challenges remain
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Data protection rules: India Inc says challenges remain

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has released the much-awaited draft rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2025. Continued engagement from the government will be key to ensuring effective implementation.” Goldie Dhama, Partner at Deloitte India, said the draft offers important clarifications, mainly regarding verifiable consent for children’s data. After a gap of over 16 …

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 …

Suggestions from over 100 entities on Digital Competition Bill under consideration: FM
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Suggestions from over 100 entities on Digital Competition Bill under consideration: FM

Live Mint  

New Delhi: The government consulted over 100 entities including some of the businesses likely to be impacted by the proposed digital competition law, such as Amazon, Apple India Pvt. The minister told the House in a written reply that pre-legislative consultations on the Draft Digital Competition Bill were held as per the ministry of corporate affairs’ policy. Closed-door consultations were …

A needed reform for digital competition
1 year ago

A needed reform for digital competition

Hindustan Times  

With the rising digitalisation of markets, the proposed Digital Competition Act can provide a much-needed reform. PREMIUM The 2002 Competition Act’s ex-post approach—the regulator acts when abuse of dominance occurs—was adequate for the earlier, almost exclusively physical markets. The 2002 Competition Act’s ex-post approach—the regulator acts when abuse of dominance occurs—was adequate for the earlier, almost exclusively physical markets. Also, …

India's Data Revolution: Unpacking the DPDPA 2023 and Ensuring Accountability
1 year, 3 months ago

India's Data Revolution: Unpacking the DPDPA 2023 and Ensuring Accountability

The Quint  

It is crucial to establish mechanisms that hold the government accountable as a data custodian, said Dr Kislay Pandey, a leading corporate lawyer of India. Specific measures need to be taken to explicitly regulate emerging technologies like AI and tapping into their potential to bolster data protection. He further said, “To ensure the efficacy of data protection and privacy regulation …

The Art of A Good Unicorn | Startup founders, be careful as data is more liability than asset now
1 year, 4 months ago

The Art of A Good Unicorn | Startup founders, be careful as data is more liability than asset now

Hindustan Times  

India has become a rapidly evolving digital landscape where technology reigns supreme. And therein lies the rub: The need for accountability and data protection brewing in Internet startups handling data in India’s burgeoning startup ecosystem. And so, in August 2023, India’s Rajya Sabha passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 to redefine how digital personal data is processed. Or …

Only 9% of Indian organizations secure explicit user data consent: Report reveals
1 year, 5 months ago

Only 9% of Indian organizations secure explicit user data consent: Report reveals

India TV News  

Only 9% of Indian organizations secure explicit user data consent: Report reveals PwC India conducted a thorough examination of the websites belonging to 100 Indian enterprises in order to gauge their adherence to the DPDP Act. A recent report has shed light on significant compliance gaps in data consent practices among Indian organizations as the government collaborates with industry stakeholders …

Data protection rules to come out over next thirty days, say MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar
1 year, 6 months ago

Data protection rules to come out over next thirty days, say MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar

The Hindu  

Rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 will come out in the coming month, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday. Mr. Chandrasekhar was speaking at a “Digital India Dialogues” event, where industry representatives from firms that will have to comply with the requirements of the DPDP Act were present. “We will …

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, …

HNLU To Conduct A Round Table On Data Protection In A Digital World: Perspectives From India
1 year, 6 months ago

HNLU To Conduct A Round Table On Data Protection In A Digital World: Perspectives From India

Live Law  

Hidayatullah National Law University, a leading institution in the field of legal education, is proud to announce an upcoming round table discussion on the topic "Delineating the Issues Relating to Data Protection in a Digital World: Perspectives from India." It will be an exceptional opportunity to engage with experts and explore the intricacies of data protection in the digital age …

Today’s Cache | India’s Personal Data Protection Act weakens RTI; Google hit with copyright lawsuit; Microsoft unbundles Teams to avert fines
1 year, 6 months ago

Today’s Cache | India’s Personal Data Protection Act weakens RTI; Google hit with copyright lawsuit; Microsoft unbundles Teams to avert fines

The Hindu  

India’s Personal Data Protection Act weakens RTI Activists have long warned of dilution of the Right to information and with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, of 2023, the qualified prohibitions to certain right to information to be kept secret have turned into total prohibitions. The lawsuit, alleging copyright violations, was filed by the Danish Media Association a year after …

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 …

An Act to cement digital authoritarianism
1 year, 7 months ago

An Act to cement digital authoritarianism

The Hindu  

“You may say that you want to be forgotten but the state does not want to forget you.” This chilling argument for dominance over every Indian’s life was rejected six years ago, in August 2017, by the Supreme Court of India in the first Puttaswamy decision. The Court reaffirmed the fundamental right to privacy while requiring the Union Government to …

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 …

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 …

The new data bill will mark a paradigm shift
1 year, 7 months ago

The new data bill will mark a paradigm shift

Hindustan Times  

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday. This is why I have been opposed to the enactment of a compliance-heavy, General Data Protection Regulation style regulation in India, even though this is widely believed to be the gold standard for data protection. Most of the other data protection principles — retention restrictions, purpose specifications, …

The dangers in the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill
1 year, 7 months ago

The dangers in the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill

The Hindu  

The government is set to introduce the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill in Parliament. The Data Protection Bill of 2022 includes a provision to amend the Right to Information Act, which has empowered millions of Indian citizens since its enactment in 2005. Given that the government is the biggest data repository, an effective data protection law must not give wide …

Panel urges govt to finalize digital competition bill
1 year, 7 months ago

Panel urges govt to finalize digital competition bill

Live Mint  

NEW DELHI : The parliamentary standing committee on finance, led by Jayant Sinha, on Thursday urged the Union government to finalise the digital competition bill at the earliest to check a slew of anti-competitive practices plaguing the digital markets. In December, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance recommended formation of Digital Competition Law, and defining Big Tech companies as Systemically Important …

India’s data protection law needs refinement
1 year, 8 months ago

India’s data protection law needs refinement

The Hindu  

India is no Europe, and this seems especially true in the face of a task such as drafting and conceptualising a data protection law for over 1.4 billion Indians. The European Union’s data protection law, i.e., the General Data Protection Regulation, came into force in the middle of 2018 and achieved widespread popularity as arguably the most comprehensive data privacy …

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. …

Data protection bill gets Cabinet nod, likely to be introduced in monsoon session
1 year, 8 months ago

Data protection bill gets Cabinet nod, likely to be introduced in monsoon session

Hindustan Times  

The Union cabinet on Wednesday cleared the proposed data protection law, likely to be introduced for discussion during the monsoon session of parliament, paving the way for the country’s first privacy law under which data fiduciaries, government and private, will have to issue a notice to the public declaring the data collected, stored and shared by them, officials familiar with …

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 …

Demand for digital data protection bill gathers steam
1 year, 11 months ago

Demand for digital data protection bill gathers steam

Deccan Chronicle  

HYDERABAD: After the Cyberabad police busted theft of sensitive and confidential data of 16.8 crore citizens, the Digital Data Protection Bill, which is pending in Parliament, has come to the fore again. While police bat for the Bill saying that it will bring in accountability on those holding data and also secure the information of individuals, cyber and legal experts …

Digital India Act: A Black and White Journey Begins After The Festival Of Colours
2 years ago

Digital India Act: A Black and White Journey Begins After The Festival Of Colours

ABP News  

Union Minister for State for Electronics And Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar unveiled and gave an overall glimpse of the proposed basic structure/framework and an overall roadmap of the Digital India Act 2023 on March 9, 2023. While on the one hand, the internet, devices and information technology have empowered the citizens of India, at the same time it has also …

It’s unclear if exceptional markets call for special rules
2 years, 2 months ago

It’s unclear if exceptional markets call for special rules

Live Mint  

India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance recently released a report on anti-competitive practices by Big Tech companies. It also favours more regulation of “systemically important digital intermediaries”, a move conceptually similar to the enhanced oversight of ‘gatekeepers’ or large platforms under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. It relies on two central arguments in favour of ex-ante regulation: the exceptional nature …

Govt to ensure digital competition law doesn't over-regulate
2 years, 2 months ago

Govt to ensure digital competition law doesn't over-regulate

Live Mint  

The ministry of corporate affairs will consult other ministries on the stringency of emerging regulations on digital economy before it gives a final shape to a proposed Digital Competition Bill so that over-regulation does not stall a fast-growing segment of the economy, a person informed about discussions in the government said. The idea is to assess whether another layer of …

Significant controls to govt. under data protection bill to hit investments in data centres: ITI
2 years, 2 months ago

Significant controls to govt. under data protection bill to hit investments in data centres: ITI

The Hindu  

Significant controls and exemptions to the government under the proposed Digital Personal Data Protection bill 2022 are likely to make it harder for companies to invest in data centres and data processing activities in India, according to global technology industry body ITI. The Ministry of Electronics and IT has floated draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 and has invited …

It may hit investment in Data centres: Global technology industry body IT on new data law
2 years, 2 months ago

It may hit investment in Data centres: Global technology industry body IT on new data law

India TV News  

Global technology industry body IT asserted significant controls and exemptions to the government under the proposed Digital Personal Data Protection bill 2022 are likely to make it harder for companies to invest in data centres and data processing activities in India. GOI is also afforded a broad exemption from the Bill's application, which could make it harder for companies to …

Gear up wisely to clamp down on important digital intermediaries
2 years, 2 months ago

Gear up wisely to clamp down on important digital intermediaries

Live Mint  

Hard on the heels of its recommendations on the Competition Bill, 2022, India’s Standing Committee on Finance tabled its report on “anti-competitive practices by big tech companies” in the Lok Sabha on 22 December 2022. To address the unique needs of digital markets, the committee has recommended the introduction of a ‘Digital Competition Act’, which would ensure a fair, transparent …

India panel recommends digital competition act to rein in Big Tech
2 years, 3 months ago

India panel recommends digital competition act to rein in Big Tech

The Hindu  

An Indian parliamentary panel on Thursday recommended the government enact a digital competition act to regulate anti-competitive business practices by Big Tech companies on its platforms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has had strained relations with many large technology companies, and New Delhi has been tightening the regulation of firms such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. "The Committee recommend that …

Big Tech and the need in India for ex-ante regulation
2 years, 3 months ago

Big Tech and the need in India for ex-ante regulation

The Hindu  

The Indian anti-trust body, the Competition Commission of India ’s move, in October, to impose a penalty of ₹1,337.76 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position in the android mobile device ecosystem, has forced us, once again, to rethink the market power of Big Tech companies. The EU’s Digital Market Act and “gatekeepers” who will enforce rules and regulations …

Why the new draft data bill must be reconsidered
2 years, 3 months ago

Why the new draft data bill must be reconsidered

Hindustan Times  

Earlier this month, the government released the Digital Data Protection Bill of 2022, and asked for public comments. The government said this iteration provides a progressive and adequate legal framework for data protection in India; and, in particular, having listened to industry critiques of the draft Personal Data Protection Bill of 2018, it has removed onerous provisions regarding the storage …

‘Major setback': Google on Competition Commission's ₹1,338 crore fine order
2 years, 5 months ago

‘Major setback': Google on Competition Commission's ₹1,338 crore fine order

Hindustan Times  

Search engine giant Google on Friday called the ₹1,337.76 crore fine imposed by Competition Commission of India a ‘major setback for Indian consumers and businesses’. On Thursday, the anti-trust watchdog ordered Google to pay a ₹1,337.76 crore fine for ‘abusing its dominant position’ in multiple markets in the Android ecosystem. The CCI noted that Google ‘perpetuated’ its dominant position in …

India's Digital Independence: What Govt Can Do To Protect Residents Against Data Breaches
2 years, 5 months ago

India's Digital Independence: What Govt Can Do To Protect Residents Against Data Breaches

ABP News  

Personal data exploitation is a goldmine that has been exploited by big players in the digital world. As India steps into the 5G era with ambitious goals set to be achieved within ‘Amrit Kaal’, it needs a robust digital Independence strategy against global personal data exploitation — designed and executed by Indians — in order to maintain control over the …

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