Privacy and Data Protection

On 27 October 2021, the Supreme Court of India (Supreme Court) ordered the constitution of a technical committee headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court to probe into the alleged use of a spyware called Pegasus for surveillance of several citizens of India. The judgment is of particular importance as it addresses the larger impact of the use of surveillance technologies on the fundamental right to privacy, protection of data and freedom of the press, and the need to balance these rights against the security interests of the State.

On 25 August 2021, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Ministry) notified the Drone Rules 2021 (Drone Rules). The Drone Rules supersede the erstwhile Unmanned Aircraft System Rules 2021 (UAS Rules) and have significantly reduced the approvals, compliance requirements and entry barriers for drone operators in India.