Data Protection

Will give data to restaurants with user consent: Food delivery firms

Zomato, Swiggy and other delivery firms say customer phone numbers will be shared with restaurants only after clear opt-in consent

UIDAI to launch new app to allow for QR-code-based offline verification

UIDAI will launch a mobile app for consent-based Aadhaar verification via QR codes, ending the use of photocopies and allowing users to share only required details under the DPDP Act

India's DPDP rules: Govt in talks with industry to slash compliance time

Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Centre is consulting industry to cut the 18-month window for implementing new data protection requirements

DPDP rules 2025: Why Indian businesses must act now on data compliance

The notification of the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules 2025 on November 13, 2025, marks a significant milestone in India's journey towards a harmonised data privacy regime

India's DPDP rules explained: Here's how your personal data will be handled

The new DPDP rules will be introduced over the next 18 months to give organisations time to adapt to the guidelines.

DPDP Act: IT services firms likely to have a short learning curve

Despite higher compliance costs, India's top IT firms expect minimal disruption from DPDP Rules 2025, leveraging years of experience with global data-privacy frameworks

DPDP rules: Training AI models using data likely to need a rethink

The new rules require informed consent along with easy provisions to revoke it for any personal data processing

Social Security whistleblower quits after alleging data mishandling by DOGE

A Social Security official who has filed a whistleblower complaint alleging the Department of Government Efficiency officials mishandled Americans' sensitive information says he's resigning his post because of actions taken against him since making his complaint. Charles Borges, the agency's chief data officer, alleged that more than 300 million Americans' Social Security data was put at risk by DOGE officials who uploaded sensitive information to a cloud account not subject to oversight. His whistleblower disclosure was submitted to the special counsel's office on Tuesday. In a letter to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano, Borges claimed that since filing his whistleblower complaint, the agency's actions make his duties impossible to perform legally and ethically and have caused him physical, mental and emotional distress. After reporting internally to management and externally to regulators, serious data and security and integrity concerns impacting our citizens' most sensitive ...

Data protection rules likely by year-end, says DSCI chief Vinayak Godse

DSCI chief Vinayak Godse says this will pave way for rollout of the data privacy law

New Cloud lobby seeks 'national asset' status for India's strategic data

B-DIA is further lobbying for mandatory government-backed data backups, physical audits, and source code access from all foreign vendors operating in sovereign sectors

Overlapping concerns, multi-sector impact delaying data protection law

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act has been delayed due to non-release of administrative rules; govt may undertake another round of inter-ministerial consultations to weed out any errors

Excessive data, digital tools regulation can slow MSMEs expansion: Survey

A majority of MSMEs surveyed expressed that excessive regulation over data and digital tools can create constraints for them and deprive them of tech gears necessary for scaling the business and reaching new markets and customers, a report has said. India SME Forum conducted a survey among more than 1,000 MSMEs for insights into the integration of digital tools within their operations, the report said. A majority of respondents said that excessive regulation could create constraints for MSMEs, depriving them of digital tools necessary for scaling their businesses, reaching new markets, and sustaining competitiveness, it said. Digital tools serve as a cost-effective and scalable means to compete with larger enterprises and establish their brands. "Many MSME members have expressed that the current overall regulatory framework for personal data and non-personal data is overly restrictive, creating compliance burdens that hinder their ability to market effectively and engage with ...

Nasscom, other bodies oppose DPDP Rules on cross-border data transfer ban

In the draft of the DPDP Rules, released in January this year, the ministry of electronics and information technology had proposed certain additional obligations on significant data fiduciaries

Modi govt weakening RTI in name of data protection, claims Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused the Modi government of weakening the Right To Information (RTI) Act in the name of data protection and asserted that his party will keep fighting against the "dictatorial" regime to secure the rights of the people. Kharge asserted that the Congress will not let RTI weaken and will continue to raise its voice from the streets to Parliament. "On one hand, India has been topping the charts on Misinformation and Disinformation for the past years and on the other hand, the Modi government is bent on weakening the Right To Information (RTI) Act implemented by the Congress-UPA by bringing in the Data Protection law," the Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X. Whether it is information in the public sector like the list of ration cards, beneficiary labourers of MGNREGA, names of people involved in public welfare schemes, voter list in elections, or the names of scamster billionaires who fled abroad after taking loans from ...

Tata Technologies IT services reinstated after ransomware attack

Tata Technologies assured stakeholders that client delivery services continued without disruption

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

Over 200 participants, including key government officials from various ministries, industry leaders, legal experts, and policymakers, discussed the rules

Will hold wider consultation with industry bodies on DPDP rules: Vaishnaw

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said the government will hold wider and more consultation meetings with industry bodies on the draft data protection rules. The government held its first consultation meeting with industry representatives on draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules 2025. "A lot of suggestions have come from digital platforms. We will now start focussed consultation process with various industry organisations. We want consultation to be very extensive," Vaishnaw said. According to an official statement, the consultation attracted representatives from various sectors such as technology, consulting, MSMEs, banking, and finance. Some notable organisations in attendance included DSCI, NPCI, PwC, Apple, Microsoft, Snapchat, Accenture, Zomato, Deloitte, KPMG, PhonePe, OpenAI, and others. Vaishnaw in the meeting highlighted the importance of understanding the full scope of the framework, stressing that to gain a clear understanding of the framework for

Draft DPDP rules: Task cut out for banks as operational challenges loom

Banks engage in cross-selling financial products from their subsidiaries and third parties to their customer base

Data protection rules may be refined further to protect children: Vaishnaw

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules will be refined further to connect children with technology while saving them from harms in the digital space, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday. While speaking to reporters, the minister said the rules will evolve based on the learning from their implementation. "We will refine it (DPDP Rules) further to take the power of technology to children while saving them from many harm," Vaishnaw said. The government issued draft DPDP Rules 2025 on January 3 and these are open for public consultation till February 18, 2024. According to the draft rules, digital platforms can process data of a child only after taking consent from verifiable guardian or parents. The verification can be done using voluntarily provided details of identity and age, or through a virtual token issued by an entity entrusted by law or by the Centre or state governments to maintain details of a person. Vaishnaw said the token system has been successfu

DPDP Act's long gestation period raises questions about its efficacy

The DPDP Act comes with a long gestation period. What does that mean for its efficacy?