Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday addressed growing concerns around the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, especially allegations that it could undermine the Right to Information (RTI) Act and hinder investigative journalism.
Dismissing the INDIA bloc leaders’ apprehensions, Vaishnaw asserted that the DPDP Act is in alignment with both privacy rights and transparency in public life. “Any personal information that is subject to disclosure under legal obligations, especially under various laws governing public representatives and welfare schemes such as MGNREGA, will continue to be disclosed under the RTI Act,” the Minister said.
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Privacy vs Transparency: Debate Heats Up Over Impact of Data Protection Law on RTI
His statement came on a day when several opposition leaders strongly criticized the Act. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi termed the law “draconian,” claiming that it restricts access to critical public information. “The DPDP Act keeps all personal information out. Under this new provision, you won’t be able to know through RTI which contractor built bridges in Bihar that collapsed,” Gogoi said.
Other INDIA bloc leaders present at the press conference included CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan, DMK’s M M Abdulla, and RJD spokesperson Nawal Kishore. They collectively voiced concern that the law could significantly weaken the RTI framework and limit the scope of journalistic scrutiny.
Despite the opposition’s criticism, the government maintains that the DPDP Act is a necessary step toward protecting citizens’ personal data while maintaining a balanced approach to transparency.