Navigating GDPR Compliance: Societal Challenges And Implications For India
- IJLLR Journal
- Mar 12
- 2 min read
Abhilash Obalannavar, RV University
Sneha Kadrolli, RV University
Introduction
India’s quest for compliance with General Data Protection Rules (GDPR) is a bold effort that is driven by a complex mixture of societal challenges. With digitalization building the foundation of the country’s growth it seeks for stronger data protection laws, however, there rise tremendous obstacles that hinder the effective implementation of these laws. Awareness and education might be one of the biggest barriers: most people do not know what data privacy threats are, making it hard to create a protection culture. Second, the rural-urban digital divide makes the imposition of homogenous data protection measures complicated and exposes some segments of society to abuse. Cultural and behavioral obstacles, such as insufficient concern for individual privacy and convenience taking precedence, make impediments in adopting privacy-centered measures. This lack of trust by the people on the government and private organizations with regard to data protection matters is further weakened by regular data leakage incidents, which in turn makes the successful implementation of data protection schemes difficult. Contradictory legislative agendas of India, especially with regard to a trade-off between encouraging surveillance in the name of security and ensuring individual privacy, adds to this complexity. The final but not least barrier in the attitudinal shift toward data protection is the cultural attitude toward privacy, which tends to downplay its value in preference to communal considerations. All these must be tackled in a holistic manner for India's drive toward GDPR compliance to be effective and enduring.
Lack of Data Privacy Awareness
India is facing major issues in enhancing data privacy awareness during the process of digitalization. Despite the fact that a large number of people are connected to the internet and use digital services, many are still in the dark on how their data is gathered, used and perhaps abused. This problem is mainly caused by socio-economic, cultural, and infrastructural factors that hinder the development of a strong culture of data protection.
Comments