Athira Sethu
Kochi, 30 October 2024
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has called up industry leaders for consultation as the government prepares to finally publish the much-awaited rules in personal data protection earlier this month, said a top official quoted by Economic Times. The announcement might precede the elections scheduled in Maharashtra on November 20, the ET report said.
The DPDP (Digital Personal Data Protection) Act was approved in August 2023, but the act is still not effective. The official assured that the last step left now is getting clearance from the home ministry. They are confident that regulations will be ready in time for the elections.
The DPDP Act intends to regulate the way personal data is stored, processed, and shared by both users and organizations. Its cornerstone is that consent must be obtained before the use of anyone’s data, and it has strict rules about collecting data from children who are below 18 years, which has caused quite a problem for social media companies.
MeitY has tried to alleviate the fears that the new rules might bring business disruption. The official said there would be enough time for businesses to implement the new regulations. Companies and startups would be guided to understand the new rules and follow them accordingly.
For example, when the European Union implemented its General Data Protection Regulation, it gave its member countries two years to adapt. The GDPR was adopted in April 2016 but came into force only in May 2018.
The companies that are well aware of the DPDP rules and were also involved in its development process will be approached to educate others on how they can comply with it effectively. These experts say the industry needs time to prepare well before the new regulations take action, the report said.
