Internet Freedom Foundation asks Parliament panel on Personal Data Protection bill to conduct public consultation

BENGALURU: Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights organisation, requested the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which was recently formed for a thorough review the proposed Personal Data Protection Bill, to undertake a public consultation.

The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 has been sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee post its introduction in the Lok Sabha on December 11, 2019.

“To ensure that the public be given the opportunity to provide their comments on the Bill, we ask that the Committee undertake a public consultation. But that’s not it, we also asked that these responses be pro-actively circulated with all members of the committee and made public if possible,” IFF said in a statement.

It added that in addition to the comments and counter comments being made public, IFF suggested that minutes of Committee’s meetings and any responses made by government ministries and papers which are circulated for the members, be made public.

The organisation also said the Committee should request that academics, civil society representatives and technologists who can aid in strengthening the provisions of the Bill in favour of the Indian citizens, be invited to depose before it.

IFF also stressed that the Committee should ensure that the Bill be made available in various regional languages to maintain inclusivity.

IFF was born out of the SaveTheInternet.in movement for net neutrality.