What is Digital India Bill?

March 9, 2023

The Digital India Bill is the proposed successor to the Information Technology Act, of 2000, which currently regulates entities on the internet in India. The government will hold a public consultation on March 9 to present the basic guiding principles and architecture of this proposed legislation. The Minister of State for Electronics and IT is holding a meeting on this Bill with industry representatives, consumer groups, lawyers and intermediaries in Bengaluru as part of the Digital India Dialogues.

What is the main objective of the Digital India Bill?

The Digital India Bill aims to ensure that the internet in India is open, free from user harm and criminality and that there is an institutional mechanism of accountability. The legislation will cover emerging technologies, algorithms of social media platforms, artificial intelligence, and user risks, as well as the diversity of the internet and the regulation of intermediaries.

Key Features of Digital India Bill

The bill aims to create a regulator for the internet.

The main challenge in data protection or regulation is the right of the individual to protect his information and the need to use individual data for legal purposes. The bill aims to address this challenge. A threshold will be brought in to what extent the personal data of an individual shall be accessed for legal purposes.

Most of the features of the bill are compared with the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union.

What is the need for Digital India Bill?

Currently, there are more than 760 million internet users in the country and this is to touch 1.2 billion in coming years. Though the internet is good and aids in connectivity, there are several user harms around it. Therefore, it is essential to bring in laws that will provide new frames on the rights and duties of the citizens and also speaks about the obligation to collect data.The act will replace the IT Act, 2000.

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