Telecom Firms Seek 2-Year Extension for DPDP Act Compliance

CIOTechOutlook Team | Tuesday, 28 January 2025, 05:09 IST

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Private telecom firms have asked for a two-year extension to adhere to the requirements of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act once the rules are announced, mentioning concerns about the compliance burden. 

Earlier this month, telecom firms engaged in talks with representatives from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to resolve issues related to the DPDP rules. According to sources familiar with the matter, key issues raised included the responsibilities and roles of consent managers, the challenges of compliance, and the redundancy of processes.

The Moneycontrol report referenced a telecom executive present at the meeting who mentioned that the industry required adequate time to make the essential changes, since many factors needed attention. He noted that improved coordination was necessary between the DoT and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The report noted that the operators raised worries regarding the increasing regulatory demands and possible overreach related to the new regulations. On January 3, MeitY published the draft regulations for the DPDP Act for public input and called for comments until February 18, although the due date is likely to be prolonged. The proposal outlines extra responsibilities for substantial data custodians (SDCs), including limitations on the transfer of certain personal data, with an as-yet-undefined committee designated to address the issue.

Telecom operators are expected to be categorized as SDFs under the DPDP Act because of the extensive personal data they handle. Data fiduciaries, including telecom firms, are organizations that manage the personal data of individuals in India.

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