People's addresses, phone numbers, Aadhaar numbers, PAN cards, bank account details, salaries, and income tax payments are all becoming commodities today. Several incidents of cyber criminals stealing people's sensitive information and profiting from it have come to light in recent years. They continuously encroach on personal privacy, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court as a fundamental right of citizens.
The country currently lacks competent legislation to uphold the dignity of individuals by preserving their personal digital data. The draft Personal Information Protection Act has been under discussion for five years without reaching a conclusion. The Centre had prepared a draft of the latest 'Digital Data Protection (DDP) Bill' and invited suggestions and comments on it last year.
With the bill recently approved by the cabinet, it may be passed by Parliament in the upcoming monsoon session. According to the draft legislation, companies failing to prevent data theft can be fined up to Rs 250 crore. However, the rules that make exemptions for government organizations in the name of national security have faced severe criticism.
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Concerns have been raised that the 'DDP' bill may weaken the Right to Information Act. There are also doubts about the independence of the 'Data Protection Board' that will be responsible for resolving disputes. Reports suggest that the Centre is preparing to pass the DDP Bill into law without adequately addressing the concerns raised during the referendum. These concerns are now shared by many.
According to a recent international study, India ranks second among countries affected by data theft. Domestically, the healthcare and retail sectors are the most affected by cybercriminals. Following that, organizations and offices in the financial, educational, professional-technical, and public administration sectors are most vulnerable to digital attacks.
The hacking incident targeting Delhi's AIIMS last year, which treats a large number of patients, caused a stir across the country. Details of three crore railway passengers appeared on the dark web in 2022. In March, a gang from Uttar Pradesh was caught selling the information of approximately 17 crore people. A few days later, the Telangana police busted a gang of cyber thieves selling personal details of about 67 crore Indians. To fully realize the goals of 'Digital India,' the confidence of people in cyber security must be increased.
They should be assured that the information they share online for various purposes is not misused. In this regard, 157 countries have enacted special laws to protect the privacy of their citizens in cyberspace. The absence of such a law in India, home to around 80 crore internet users, is a welcome boon for cybercriminals. Various apps and websites that indiscriminately collect user details are failing to keep them secure.
To hold them accountable and safeguard the financial and personal protection of the people, the Digital Data Protection Act should be implemented as soon as possible. It is essential to maintain a balance between public interest and legitimate government responsibilities; otherwise, the spirit of the proposed legislation will be undermined.
(Translated version of the editorial first published in Eenadu)
