India's digital personal-data protection bill puts privacy at risk

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill is a more forceful attempt to legislate a Chinese-style surveillance state in the world's largest democracy

India’s previous attempt at framing a law on personal-data protection had made 21 references to “privacy,” starting by acknowledging it as a fundamental right. Not only was that legislation unceremoniously dumped in August after five years of negotiations, but the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dropped even the lip service to freedom from intrusion in the new version that has replaced it. 
 

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill that’s open to public comments is much shorter than its now-abandoned predecessor. It’s also a more forceful attempt to legislate a Chinese-style surveillance state in the world’s largest democracy —