U.S.-India Trade Groups Intend To Lobby Against India’s Privacy Bill

Trade organizations depicting some of the world’s largest firms plan to lobby U.S. officials and Indian legislators in a bid to weaken parts of an Indian data protection bill. The bill could harm businesses, three experts close with the policies told Reuters.

Besides, the Personal Data Protection Bill will need organizations such as Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook to transform how they collect and operate Indian users’ data. Moreover, India’s government asserts that the Personal Data Protection Bill is essential to preserve user privacy.

 

Industry officials say some terms will increase costs and compliance obligations. Furthermore, one provision allows the administration to ask a firm to provide anonymized user data to assist draw up policies. However, several companies are unwilling to share data as it is vital to fuel market growth.

Additionally, the government submitted the bill last week. A 30-member parliamentary board shall review the bill. Indian parliament is bringing many controversial bills, such as CAB which are inciting controversies across India.

According to a source, the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) is taking a pivotal role in the scenario. Furthermore, the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) is a section of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It intends to lobby Indian parliamentarians who will examine the bill and will meet with important U.S. government officials.

The council may also accompany a committee to India early next year to meet the parliamentary committee, the source continued.

The sources refused to talk as the lobbying arrangements are not yet public.

The programs indicate India’s privacy bill could intensify bilateral tensions. The United States of America (USA) has been bothered with new acrimonious data storage rules. The rules will affect credit card corporations. The player also objected against e-commerce laws that have troubled companies such as Amazon.com Inc.

Meenakshi Lekhi

Meenakshi Lekhi, the leader of the parliamentary committee and a legislator from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, gave an interview to Reuters. She told Reuters the board will strive to have “the widest possible consultations”.

Moreover, she continued, nevertheless, that she will ask a legal opinion on “the participation” of an international lobby group during the board’s discussions.

Besides, the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) also issued a statement. They said it was evaluating the bill and will join with the administration and other stakeholders “to ensure that industry perspectives on the bill are incorporated”.

As per a source, another powerful lobby group, the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, is also active in the scenario. The group has told its constituents it intends to work with other business bodies and talk to U.S. officials. The U.S. seems to discuss industry matters on the privacy bill.

The group stated in a statement it was still evaluating the bill.

India is the newest nation to seek stronger control over data and internal processes of global tech firms. 

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Moreover, it stated, Vietnam has enacted a law for technology companies to stock “important” private data on users in the country. Furthermore, Australia last year legislated a bill that provided police access to encrypted data.