The Supreme Court of India has sought a response from the central government regarding several petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Digital Personal , 2023. Petitioners argue the new law dilutes transparency by removing public interest safeguards for data disclosure.
2023
Act Passed In
📊 One chart explains it
DPDP Act Passage Timeline
Takeaway: India's journey towards a data protection law has seen significant legislative milestones since the landmark privacy judgment in 2017.
⏳ Time Machine
How today’s news fits into the bigger picture
August 2017
Right to Privacy Declared Fundamental
The Supreme Court, in the K.S. Puttaswamy judgment, unanimously declared that the right to privacy is a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution, setting the stage for data protection legislation.
2019
First Data Protection Bill Introduced
The first iteration of the Personal Data Protection Bill was introduced in Parliament, but it faced significant criticism and eventually lapsed.
August 2023
Digital Personal Data Protection Act Passed
After several revisions, the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, was passed by both houses of Parliament, aiming to regulate personal data processing in India.
Mid-2024
Petitions Filed in SC
Multiple petitions were filed in the Supreme Court challenging various provisions of the newly enacted DPDP Act, citing concerns over transparency and privacy safeguards.
Today
The Supreme Court sought the Centre's response on petitions challenging the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
What happens next?
The Central Government will file its response, followed by further hearings and a potential ruling from the Supreme Court, which could lead to amendments to the Act.
India's Supreme Court has stepped into the ongoing debate over data privacy, issuing a notice to the Central Government asking for its response to multiple petitions challenging the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), 2023. The petitioners argue that certain provisions of the Act, particularly those removing the 'public interest' safeguard for disclosing personal information, undermine transparency and fundamental rights. This judicial intervention brings a critical focus on the balance between state power, individual privacy, and journalistic freedom, especially in a rapidly digitizing economy. The government now has to justify the legislative changes before the apex court.
💭 If you're wondering…
It's India's primary law regulating how entities collect, store, and process personal data, aiming to protect individual privacy while enabling legitimate data use in the digital economy.
Did this story help?
Official sources
Knowledge Chain — tap a concept