The Government of India told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the new Data Protection Bill will be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament in July this year. Attorney General R Venkatramani appeared on behalf of the Centre and assured the five-judge constitution bench that the Bill will meet all the concerns around personal data protection expressed by the petitioners.
The court was hearing the petition related to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy and if it violates users’ right to privacy under Article 21. “It will meet all the concerns expressed by the petitioners about personal data protection,” AG Venkatramani told the bench headed by Justice KM Joseph.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan urged the top court to not link the court hearing to the legislative proceedings.
The senior advocate was quoted as saying by India Today, “We are no closer to a bill, then we were in February. I would request that the case be listed in July. My only hope is whenever the bench is constituted next, it may be taken up in earnest. Please do not link our court hearing to the legislative process, it is complex. Our court goes by our parameters.”
The bench said the matter will be placed before the registry to be placed before the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud for reconstituting the bench. The bench composition will change as two judges are due to retire in coming months.
The bench said, “Keeping all this in consideration, let Chief Justice of India decide the constitution of the new bench and place the matter for hearing in the first week of August.”
The development comes after the apex court directed WhatsApp in February this year to publicise its undertaking submitted to the Centre that it will not limit the functionality for users who do not agree with its 2021 privacy policy but will continue to remind them about the update.
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