The Indian government is reported to have started the process of drafting rules for Section 67C of the Information Technology Act, 2000, India’s data retention law. Under these rules, intermediaries, or internet service providers, or websites and apps like Facebook, Whatsapp and Gmail, may be required to collect and store data.

Data retention in a limited manner is normal and in fact, necessary for the security of the country. Problems arise, however, when anti-terrorism measures are used as a justification for a mass invasion of people’s private lives. Data retention laws, without the necessary safeguards, can quickly become a ‘legal’ means of violating people’s fundamental right to privacy.