Draft personal data protection Bill: Penalties may range up to Rs 250 crore

The government on Friday released for public consultation a revised version of the personal data protection Bill, which prescribes penalties ranging up to Rs 250 crore for data fiduciaries on account of failing to take safeguards to prevent personal data breaches.

Released more than three months after discarding the previous draft, the new one has eased the data localisation mandate of the earlier version, which had alarmed many big multinational technology companies.

The central government will, “after an assessment of such factors as it may consider necessary”, notify a list of countries or territories outside India to which the transfer of personal data will be allowed.