A Bill that fences in the right to information
The approval of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill in India threatens to severely undermine the Right to Information Act, a cornerstone of democratic accountability. The primary concern is the proposed amendment to the RTI Act’s privacy exemption clause, which would allow public officials to withhold almost any information by labeling it as personal data. This shift transforms a tool for citizen empowerment into a mechanism for systematic denial of transparency, effectively prioritizing administrative convenience over democratic oversight. This legal regression endangers the public’s ability to hold the government accountable and combat corruption. By widening the definition of "personal information" to include data linked to individuals, companies, or the state, the new framework removes the critical "acid test" that currently prevents arbitrary refusals of information. Consequently, officials could legally deny disclosure of records regarding appointments, assets, and decision-making processes, shielding potential misconduct from public scrutiny. This development is highly relevant to open data advocates because it illustrates how privacy legislation can be weaponized to restrict public access to government information. It highlights the danger of conflating data protection with information secrecy, potentially eroding the transparency norms essential for open governance. The article serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of carefully balancing privacy rights with the fundamental need for an informed citizenry capable of demanding accountability.
Source: thehindu.comPublished on 2023-07-18