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During the Global Technology Summit 2023, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, acknowledged the challenges in implementing the Digital India Act before the impending general election due to insufficient time for extensive consultations.
While he noted the limitations, Chandrasekhar expressed optimism regarding the forthcoming Digital Personal Data Protection Act, anticipating its release for public consultation by the end of this month and likely notification by December's end or early January.
Rationale for Replacing the Outdated IT Act
Highlighting the inadequacies of the existing IT Act, Chandrasekhar emphasized the need for an updated legislation that aligns with the current digital landscape. He underscored the absence of even the term "internet" in the current Act and the consensus within the industry for its replacement with a more comprehensive Digital India Act.
Focus Areas of the Proposed Digital India Act
The Digital India Act (DIA) aims to address several critical aspects of the online domain. It primarily concentrates on ensuring an open internet while establishing regulations to curb the dominance of specific players. Moreover, the Act intends to prioritize online safety, combating user harm through measures like age-gating to regulate addictive technology and discretionary moderation of fake news on social media platforms. Additionally, the Act seeks to define and regulate emerging technologies and proposes stringent regulations for privacy-invasive devices such as spy camera glasses and wearable tech. The inclusion of Know Your Customer (KYC) rules for retail sales, backed by appropriate criminal law sanctions, is also a key feature of the proposed legislation.