A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017 REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File PhotoNEW DELHI, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Indian lawmakers on Wednesday passed a data protection law that will dictate how tech companies process users' data amid criticism that it will likely lead to increased surveillance by the government.
The law will allow companies to transfer some users' data abroad while giving the government power to seek information from firms and issue directions to block content on the advice of a data protection board appointed by the federal government.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 gives the government powers to exempt state agencies from the law and gives users the right to correct or erase their personal data.
The new legislation comes after India withdrew a 2019 privacy bill that had alarmed tech companies like Facebook and Google with its proposals for stringent restrictions on cross-border data flows.
The Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights group, has also said that the law does not contain any meaningful safeguards against "over-broad surveillance", while the Editors Guild of India has said it affects press freedom and dilutes the Right to Information law.
Persons:
Kacper, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Blassy Boben, Shivam Patel, Kirsten Donovan
Organizations:
REUTERS, Facebook, Google, Freedom Foundation, Guild of India, Thomson
Locations:
India