DPDP rules to be out for public consultation at end of Budget session

The year-long wait for the detailed rules for the country's data protection legislation – the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) – is expected to end soon. The rules are expected to be put out for public consultation at the end of the ongoing Parliament session, according to sources.

The ongoing budget session will get over on August 12.

"The rules drafting is done, and it is expected to be out for public consultation by the end of next week," said a person in the know.

The DPDPA, which got the President's assent on the same day last year, will complete a year without detailed rules on August 12.

Once the government notifies the rules, a public consultation period will follow, which could go for around 45 days.

Talking about the rules earlier, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said that it was a priority area for the government.

He said that the drafting of the rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act "was in very advanced stages, and the government will start consultations with the industry on the subject very soon."

Last week, the IT Ministry asked technology and social media companies to find solutions to verify the age of children in accordance with the country’s new data protection act.

The DPDP Act mandates platforms to obtain “verifiable consent” from a parent or legal guardian before processing personal data of users under the age of 18. This provision was one of the most contentious issues during the public consultations on the Bill last year.

The notification of India’s data privacy law rules has been long-awaited. Once the rules are notified, there will be a consultation period, followed by the establishment of the Data Protection Board (DPB).

Industry players have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the delay in the notification of the rules, saying that most platforms will need to align their products and services based on the requirements under the rules, and they need adequate time to comply.