DPDP rules need to be principle-based rather than prescriptive: Vaishnaw

Apple, Microsoft, Snapchat, OpenAI, Accenture, Zomato, Deloitte, DSCI, and others participated in the first consultation meeting organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) with the industry on draft data protection rules.

 

Over 200 participants, including key government officials from various ministries, industry leaders, legal experts, and policymakers, discussed the rules designed to support the implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) on Tuesday, January 13.

 

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Railways, and Information & Broadcasting, stressed that the framework will keep evolving.

 

“The objective that we had set for ourselves is to keep it simple, be principle-based rather than prescriptive, and let the law and rules evolve rather than casting everything in stone—a trust-based approach rather than a cynical one," he said in a statement from PIB.

 

The consultation on DPDP rules is ongoing, and the industry is expected to provide its comments by February 18.

 

S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, emphasised the importance of fostering open and candid discussions.

 

"We are here to listen and fine-tune any aspects that require further attention. Data protection is an issue that affects all of us, and it must be addressed inclusively and thoughtfully. More such sessions will be held soon," he stated.

 

This Act and its rules framework aim to strike the right balance between innovation and regulation, fostering a strong innovation culture while protecting the rights of citizens. Krishnan also mentioned that the digital infrastructure required for implementing the framework is being finalised.