LS clears Data Protection Bill; Oppn sees red

New Delhi, Agencies: The Lok Sabha on Monday cleared the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill by a voice vote amid slogan shouting by opposition members over the Manipur issue.

Some ammendments moved by opposition members seeking changes in the bill were defeated by a voice vote.

The bill seeks to protect the privacy of Indian citizens while proposing a penalty of up to Rs 250 crore on entities for misusing or failing to protect the digital data of individuals.

Opposition and civil society leaders have claimed that the proposed law could violate the right to privacy and enable the government to engage in mass surveillance and censorship.