The Editors Guild of India today welcomed the draft data protection bill, noting that the provisions for journalists in it broadly allow media professionals to use sensitive as well as non-sensitive personal data while discharging their duties.


Amid a sharp rise in data breaches, a new legislation last week proposed taking explicit consent of individuals before sensitive personal information such as religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation and biometric information, is processed.


The draft of the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 -- which is based on the recommendations of the government -- constituted high-level panel set up last year and headed by Justice B N Srikrishna -- restricts and imposes conditions on the cross-border transfer of personal data, and suggests setting up of the Data Protection Authority of India to prevent any misuse of personal information.


The Editors Guild of India, in a statement, said it welcomes the specific provisions for journalists in the draft Personal Data Protection Bill 2018 as they broadly allow media professionals to use sensitive as well as non-sensitive personal data while discharging their duties. -- PTI