Data opportunity at the G20

GS paper 2

Syllabus: Bilateral, regional and global grouping involving India, G20 etc

Source: The Hindu

Context: According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), data localisation laws have more than doubled from 2017 to 2021, indicating that countries (including G20 countries) seek and want increasing levels of regulatory control over data.

Examples of increasing regulation over data:

• Antitrust policy: The US recently issued an executive order on promoting competition in the American economy that pushed for the use of antitrust policy to meet the challenges posed by the rise of dominant platforms, and surveillance.
• European policymakers: They have introduced a bevy of digital rules that place individual users centre-stage, and enhance their data security.
  • Through the proposed Data Act, the EU hopes to become an unparalleled data power by creating a single data market, setting robust standards and deploying the EU’s collective data for their own use.

Advantages of G20 to play a role in data governance:

• Converging positions on data governance: There is already seemingly converging positions on data governance amongst major G-7 power.
• Legitimacy of G20: Given G20 legitimacy on economic issues and having the top (digital) economies makes it an appropriate forum to discuss data.
• Non-binding rules: The G20 does not create binding rules but serves as a platform to catalyze and inject new thinking around critical current issues.

India’s position on Data governance:

• Governance of non-personal data, personal data: Since 2017, India has attempted to incubate governance of non-personal data, personal data, e-commerce regulation and artificial intelligence (AI) with a preference to harness “India’s data for India’s development.
  • These policies, include the recently withdrawn Personal Data Protection Bill.

What should India do: 

• Data collection and sharing: At G20 Indian government should present a holistic agenda that embeds data collection and sharing within a broader framework that prioritizes digital security, innovation, and citizen rights.
  • For example, the Reserve Bank of India’s data localisation directive has been in place for four years now.
• Data Localisation: India’s digital economy stewardship must transcend data localisation by highlighting best practices on data protection, competition law, data stewardship, and responsible artificial intelligence both in India and other G20 countries.
• Redraft of Data protection bill: The ongoing effort to redraft the Personal Data Protection Bill and embed it within a ‘more comprehensive framework’ that addresses related concerns like cybersecurity must serve as an urgent domestic priority, and could lend weight to India’s G20 data approach.

Insta Links:

G20

Mains Links

Q. Data security has assumed significant importance in the digitized world due to rising cyber crimes. Justice B. N. Srikrishna Committee Report addresses issues related to data security. What, in your view, are the strengths and weaknesses of the Report relating to the protection of personal data in cyberspace? (UPSC 2018)

Q. The long sustained image of India as a leader of the oppressed and marginalized nations has disappeared on account of its newfound role in the emerging global order.’ Elaborate(UPSC 2019)

Prelims Links: