DATA EMPOWERMENT AND PROTECTION ARCHITECTURE (DEPA) – SCI
& TECH
News: A
chance for India to shape a data governance regime
What's in the news?
● In
recent years, India has made great strides in its digital strategies and data
governance.
● India
has embraced technology and digitalization to drive economic growth and to improve
the lives of its citizens.
● However,
as the country continues to evolve, it must also ensure that its digital
strategies and data governance are inclusive, transparent, secure, and
conducive to sustainable development.
Key takeaways:
● India’s
G-20 presidency has provided an opportunity for the country to showcase its
advancements in the digital arena, particularly with regards to data
infrastructures and data governance.
● As
the world becomes increasingly digital, the G-20 has recognized the need for
international cooperation and collaboration in addressing the challenges,
opportunities and risks posed by the rapid growth of data and digital
technologies.
● Significant
progress has been made in the use of digital technologies to provide access to
bank accounts and in the promotion of digital transactions through the Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) and other options.
Data Governance:
● Data
governance is managing data usage, data security, data availability, and data
integrity.
Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA)
and related concerns:
● DEPA
is a consent management tool.
● It
has the potential to improve data protection and privacy for citizens by giving
them greater control over the use and sharing of their personal information.
● It
allows individuals to easily manage and control their data consents which could
help to build trust in digital technologies and data governance.
Risks associated with DEPA:
- If
the consent management tool is not properly implemented or managed, there
is a risk that personal information could be misused or misappropriated.
- Implementation
of DEPA may be inconsistent across different sectors and jurisdictions,
which could undermine its effectiveness and create confusion among
citizens.
- Concerns
related to security and privacy
- Issues
of infrastructure, connectivity and the availability of a skilled human
workforce.
- Potential
misuse of data and information in these sectors.
- For
example:
● Health
sector: there is a risk that sensitive medical information could be misused or
exploited for commercial purposes
● Agriculture:
there is a risk that market information could be manipulated for the benefit of
certain actors.
● Ownership
and governance of data generated and collected in health and agriculture.
Steps that need to be taken:
- DEPA
must be implemented in a transparent, consistent, and secure manner.
- Close
collaboration between the government, the private sector, civil society,
and other stakeholders
- Development
of clear and effective regulations and standards.
- Data
governance has to be a process in evolution that is agile and responsible.
- It
has to be built upon fundamental rights, values and norms and on
regulations that balance the interests of all stakeholders.
- Strong
and robust data protection regulations, the development of ethical and
responsible data governance practices, as well as effective and
accountable oversight mechanisms.
The issue of data sovereignty:
Data sovereignty:
It refers to the principle that a country has the right to control the
collection, storage, and use of data within its borders and also to the
informational self-determination of citizens over their data.
India Data Management Office (IDMO):
- It
is expected to oversee and coordinate the implementation of India’s
digital strategies and data governance framework
- To
ensure that these efforts are aligned with the country’s values and
priorities.
- It
works to promote the development and implementation of open-source
solutions to ensure that underlying data architectures are a social public
good
- To
promote digital technologies to become accessible and affordable for all.
Way Forward:
- India
has embraced technology and digitalization to drive economic growth and to
improve the lives of its citizens.
- India
must also ensure that its digital strategies and data governance are
inclusive, transparent, secure, and conducive to sustainable development.
- India’s G-20
presidency has provided an opportunity
for the country to showcase its advancements in the digital arena,
particularly with regards to data infrastructures and data governance.
- The G-20 has recognized
the need for international cooperation
and collaboration in addressing the challenges, opportunities and risks
posed by the rapid growth of data and digital technologies.
- Significant
progress has been made in the use of digital technologies to
provide access to bank accounts and in the promotion of digital
transactions through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and other
options.
- The use of
digital technologies can enhance access
to health-care services, particularly in rural and remote areas, while in
agriculture they can empower farmers and enhance their incomes.
- Open source
and open innovation models can be
important alternatives to proprietary solutions that are governed by big
tech companies.
- Opening up
some data silos may be useful in
promoting citizen participation and increasing access to information,
others may jeopardize trust and security.
- The
sharing of sensitive personal or financial information may be harmful to
individuals and society as a whole, as it may lead to discrimination,
exclusion, and unforeseen negative consequences.
- Therefore,
it is important for India to navigate a middle way between restrictive
data sovereignty and limitless data flow.
- Define
which data, for which purposes, can be shared and used by whom