Govt okays Bill proposing Rs 15-cr fine for data misuse, easy storage rules

The Cabinet's approval paves the way for the Bill to be tabled in Parliament in the ongoing winter session

The government is learnt to have relaxed the mandatory storage and processing requirement for all kinds of personal data and made a case for the collection of anonymised data from companies for planning government schemes in its long-awaited draft data protection Bill, which was approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. 

The Bill categorises data as sensitive personal data and critical personal data. Sensitive data includes passwords, financial data, health data, sexual orientation, biometric data, genetic data, transgender status, and caste. Critical data will be defined by the government from time to time.

All companies will have to store the critical data