NHRC Discusses Digital Privacy And Corporate Responsibility

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India recently hosted an open house discussion on the topic "Ensuring Privacy and Human Rights in the Digital Age: A Focus on Corporate Digital Responsibility." The event, held in a hybrid mode at the NHRC office, was presided over by Justice Shri V. Ramasubramanian, Chairperson, Commission. Other attendees included Member Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, Secretary General Shri Bharat Lal, senior officers, industry representatives, and subject experts.

Speaking to the participants, Justice Ramasubramanian underlined the significance of privacy as an essential human right in the age of technology. He said technological development should support privacy safeguards and responsibility starts with individuals. He stressed the role of digital hygiene and raised apprehensions regarding deteriorating value systems in society and warned that citizens have to carry the burden for this decline. He reasserted NHRC's intention to ensure that there are inclusive debates on corporate accountability and digital rights so that a strong regulatory framework is evolved that is equally balanced in ensuring innovation, security, and the privacy of the individual.

Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi spoke specifically about the digital literacy issue, highlighting that an absence of awareness makes individuals vulnerable to cheating. He underlined the importance of making digital processes easy so that ordinary citizens can utilize technology without harm or independently. Prior to these talks, Secretary General Shri Bharat Lal framed the agenda for the meeting, pinpointing the major aim of maintaining privacy and human rights in the digital era with a special emphasis on corporate digital responsibility. He emphasized three sub-themes: creating a proper regulatory regime and compliance mechanism, developing a culture of data privacy, and determining threats and best practices.

Referring to 2023 data, Bharat Lal mentioned that India creates more than 20% of the world's data but has merely 3% of the storage capacity, which shows the significant role for Indian corporates in handling data responsibly. He recognized the existence of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and other regulatory steps but reiterated that problems in the digital era keep on increasing. The draft rules have been notified, and the process of consultation is ongoing. He underlined that organizations collecting, storing, and processing personal data carry a massive responsibility, being trustees of the information. Any violation of trust, he said, is not acceptable. Securing online privacy, he added, is a shared responsibility that demands the concerted efforts of individuals, private organizations, and government agencies.

The conversation widely touched on issues of data abuse and leaks. Attendees raised concerns over the vast control that international technology firms have over user information, making it difficult for regulation to be enforced. Offshore storage of vital data makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to access it, and growing reliance on digital platforms has complicated individual privacy protection. There were calls for loopholes in the draft data protection guidelines, including mandatory reporting of data breaches within 72 hours and the responsibility of research institutions processing personal data. Government members emphasized continued consultations concerning data protection laws, notably the addition of the Right to Nomination in an effort to strengthen privacy rights.

Corporate digital responsibility was also an issue of focus during the discussion, with industry members expressing best practices in terms of data protection, digital well-being, and compliance-by-design approaches. Yet they did map out the operational challenges of having to work in sophisticated, multi-layered digital environments. Firms that are moving from a low digital penetration to an organized data protection model highlighted the importance of regulatory adaptability in supporting changing business models and international compliance norms, like the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Shareholder groups recommended that the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, address clearly penal provisions for non-compliance and clearly specify verifiable parental consent for children.

Issues related to consumer rights and the ease of data protection policies were also raised. Consumers were said to have few options when agreeing to data collection since numerous business models require data sharing. The current Do-Not-Disturb (DND) mechanism provided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was said to be ineffective in safeguarding consumer privacy.

The session had a number of important stakeholders in attendance, including Shri Shailendra Trivedi, Chief General Manager-in-Charge, Department of Information Technology, Reserve Bank of India; Shri Deepak Goel, Group Coordinator (Cyber Law), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology; Shri Ankur Rastogi, Principal Project Engineer, Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS); and HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Policy Bazaar, MakeMyTrip, NASSCOM, and other organization executives. Cyber experts and policy thinkers like Dr. Muktesh Chander, NHRC Special Monitor for Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Crime, and Shri Tanveer Hasan A K, Executive Director of the Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) in India, also graced the panel.

A few major recommendations took shape from the discussion. One of them urged making user agreements and policy approaches simpler to understand in order to give consumers a better grasp over their personal information. They underlined the importance of well-defined accountability frameworks, especially for breaches involving research organizations and third-party data processors. Enhancing user consent frameworks was regarded as being vital for transparency and informed choice. There was also a call for the mandate and structure of the suggested Data Protection Board to be clearly defined to provide effective oversight.

A local solution to data privacy laws was proposed to benefit small enterprises while tackling India-specific issues. Firms were urged to incorporate privacy-by-design principles into their online activities so that privacy safeguards are built into technological innovation from the very beginning. Raising consumer awareness through focused digital privacy and cybersecurity literacy initiatives was emphasized as a key measure to safeguard people from online dangers.

Participants also underlined the necessity of explicit penal provisions in case of non-compliance with data protection regulations. Bilateral agreements were urged to resolve cross-border security and data-sharing issues, as strict data localization requirements present operational problems. Clearer guidelines were also sought for securing verifiable parental consent for children to ensure children's data is well protected.

In conclusion, the debate highlighted the imperative for an all-encompassing, collective strategy for digital privacy and data protection. As India continues to grapple with the intricacies of the digital age, maintaining a balance between technological advancement, regulatory adherence, and human rights is an ongoing challenge. The NHRC reiterated its pledge to enable continuous dialogue among stakeholders to create a strong, participatory, and enforceable framework for digital rights and corporate responsibility.