'Considering regulatory framework to protect online data'

New Delhi, April 27:  The Central government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it was considering putting in place a regulatory regime to protect data and uphold the individual’s freedom of choice. Telling the constitution bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra that the government was mulling a a regulatory mechanism to protect data, Additiol Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that “freedom of choice must be protected”. The government stand was the reiteration of what Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had said in the course of last hearing on April 18 that the government is mulling a framework for data protection like the one existing in Britain and the US. Referring to the proposed regulatory mechanism for the protection of data, senior counsel K.K.Venugopal told the constitution bench also comprising Justice A.K. Sikri, Justice Amitava Roy, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice Mohan M. Shantagoudra that “If government of India is coming forward with a regulatory regime, we can wait, what is the hurry?” Appearing for petitioners Karmanya Singh Sareen and Shreya Sethi, senior counsel Harish Salve submitted a set of questions focusing on the right to privacy. In one of the six questions framed for consideration by the constitution bench, Salve asked whether Article 21 read with Article 14, 19, and 25 of the Constitution confer upon all persons the right to privacy in respect of communications which are private in ture, irrespective of medium of communication.  (IANS)