Digital Privacy, Cyber Law, and Transformation of the Indian Judicial System: Critical Analysis of the DPDP Act, 2023, and Information Technology Act, 2000
Keywords:
Cyber Law, Digital Governance, Digital Privacy, DPDP Act, 2023, Information Technology Act, 2000, Justice SystemAbstract
The advent of technological advancement and using cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and digital technology to create a digital revolution, and data governance have completely altered the legal and institutional setting in India and thus, digital privacy has become one of the core issues in cyber law and policy in the country. The Supreme Court of India's recognition of the fundamental right to privacy in the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) case established the constitutional foundation for the protection of personal data and required legislative changes to address the emerging digital threats. In this regard, in addition to the cyber laws under the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) is the first law in India that governs the handling of personal digital data. However, the co-existence of both the acts has resulted in some crucial issues. Although the DPDP Act 2023 signals a paradigm shift towards a rights-based approach to data governance, there continue to be inadequacies in aligning privacy protection with cybersecurity regulation through the Information Technology Act, 2000. In its findings, the paper establishes that a privacy-oriented digital justice ecosystem in India can only be achieved through stronger enforcement mechanisms, judicial capacity-building for digital disputes, good governance, and law reform for technology.
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