Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi reinstated to India’s Parliament after Supreme Court order
PBS NewsHourAug 22, 2023
The Facts
On Wednesday, Indian lawmakers approved a data protection bill to manage how tech companies utilize users' data despite concerns that the law could give more surveillance power to the government.
The new legislation, the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023, gives the government the discretion to excuse state agencies from complying with the law and allows users to alter or delete their data.
The Spin
Narrative A
This is a tremendous win for the Indian people as the government looks to protect their rights in the digital age. With all the information and access available today, many people are vulnerable to their personal data being accessed by corporations or nefarious actors. The government recognized that problem and is cracking down on inappropriate data breaches.
Narrative B
Civil society groups have rightly raised concerns about the scope of exemptions in India's new data protection law, which doesn't contain sufficient safeguards against overbroad surveillance by the government and could adversely affect press freedom and dilute the Right to Information law. This bill may protect citizens from Big Tech, but it leaves them vulnerable to the state's prying eyes.
