Personal Data Protection Bill Cleared By Centre: Report

MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar believes this legislation will bring about significant behavioural changes among platforms that have long exploited or misused personal data.

The initial version of the Bill was introduced in November, and subsequently, it underwent several rounds of public consultations.

The much-awaited personal data protection Bill has been cleared by the Union cabinet, reported CNBC Awaaz based on source inputs. Late last month, Minister of State for IT and Electronics Rajeev Chandrashekhar expressed his views on the forthcoming data protection Bill in India. He highlighted the potential of this legislation to bring about significant behavioural changes among platforms that have long exploited or misused personal data. Emphasising its quality, Chandrashekhar mentioned that the draft legislation has undergone extensive consultation and is designed to be a world-class piece of legislation.

During an interview with PTI, 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. Chandrashekhar clarified that this move is not intended for censorship but rather to provide the government with an opportunity to address and rectify misinformation in a democratic setting.

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. In a democracy, it becomes crucial for the government to counter false narratives about its actions or policies.

Chandrashekhar emphasised that the intention behind such measures is not to restrict free speech or engage in censorship. Rather, it is to ensure that blatantly false information is recognised as such and corrected. He made it clear that this should not be misrepresented as a crackdown on free speech but rather as a means to maintain accuracy and truthfulness in public discourse.

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.

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