Governments abroad call Data Protection Bill a 'landmark' regulation

Countries such as Norway and South Africa have called the passage of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act a "landmark" regulation and said that the legislation offers "invaluable lessons" to the world on how safeguards can be applied to the global South.

Countries such as New Zealand said that they are taking a 'keen interest' in the implementation of the Bill and also its approach to privacy regulation, according to a report in The Economic Times (ET).

Some countries, such as Norway, are planning to introduce clauses that could mirror those in the DPDP Bill.

The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (DPA) called it a 'landmark regulation'. It said that it is looking forward to seeing how the regulation in India would be enforced.

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The DPDP Bill has conditions for processing data of children and parental consent is a must for processing data of minors. The Bill states that undertaking tracking and behavioural monitoring of children is prohibited with certain exemptions.

Trine Smedbold, senior legal adviser at the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, said, "We are very happy to see that children are protected from tracking, behavioural monitoring, and targeted advertising from companies."dp

Mukalani Dimba, executive for education and communication at the Information Regulator (South Africa), said that India has inspired the evolution of the right to information globally over the decades.

"Now, with the introduction of the DPDP, we are confident that India will contribute invaluable lessons to the world on how data protection can be applied in the context of a developing country or the global South," Dimba said.

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On August 11, the Bill was granted assent by President Droupadi Murmu.