New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Digital India Bill 2025 in a marathon session that lasted well past midnight, with the ruling coalition securing a comfortable majority despite a walkout by opposition parties who called the legislation "anti-people and anti-privacy."
The bill, which has been in the works for over three years, replaces the outdated Information Technology Act of 2000 and introduces comprehensive new regulations for social media platforms, e-commerce companies, and artificial intelligence developers operating in India.
Key Provisions of the Bill
Among the most significant provisions is a new data localisation mandate requiring all companies serving more than 10 million Indian users to store their data on servers within India. Tech giants including Meta, Google, and Amazon will have 18 months to comply or face penalties of up to 4% of their global annual turnover.
The bill also establishes a new Digital India Regulatory Authority (DIRA) with powers to investigate complaints, impose fines, and in extreme cases, block applications from operating in the country.
Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who piloted the bill, called it "a historic step towards digital sovereignty" and said India would become the global benchmark for responsible technology governance.
Opposition Raises Privacy Concerns
The principal opposition party staged a walkout shortly before the vote, with their spokesperson calling certain surveillance provisions "a backdoor for government snooping on citizens." Legal experts have flagged several clauses that they say could be used to compel platforms to share encrypted communications with law enforcement agencies without adequate judicial oversight.
The bill now heads to the Rajya Sabha, where the government will need to negotiate with regional parties to secure passage.