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ARTICLE · 16 MARCH 2023

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The Digital India Act: Overhauling India's Technology Laws

Khaitan & Co.
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Khaitan & Co.

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One of the core principles of the DIA will be to promote choice, competition, online diversity, ease of doing business, and fair access to digital markets.

IndiaMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Supratim Chakraborty
Supratim Chakraborty
Tanu Banerjee
Tanu Banerjee
Sumantra Bose
Sumantra Bose
Shramana Dwibedi
Shramana Dwibedi
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Facts and Background

In the year 2022, the Indian Government proposed the enactment of a comprehensive Digital India Act (DIA) to provide global and contemporaneous legal standards for catering to India's evolving digital ecosystem. The DIA is aimed at completely overhauling the country's existing Information Technology Act 2000 (IT Act), and make way for a comprehensive and dynamic legislation to regulate digital technologies. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, on 9 March 2023, organised a consultation to apprise representatives of the legal and technology industry amongst others, about the broad framework and core tenets of the DIA.

As per the briefing in the consultation, it is likely that the DIA will consist of guiding principles and will capture the broad framework of certain core constituents of the DIA, such as ensuring open internet, online safety and trust and accountability.

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