Parliament Clears Digital Governance Bill After 14-Hour Debate

The bill passed in a late-night sitting after members from both sides of the aisle pressed for changes to the enforcement timeline. The final text extends the compliance window for small and medium platforms from six months to one year, a concession that appeared to break the deadlock in Wednesday's session.

At the center of the legislation is a new statutory authority tasked with overseeing how companies collect, store, and share personal data. The authority will have the power to levy penalties tied to a company's annual turnover, a structure that mirrors frameworks already in place in other major economies.

Industry groups had lobbied for a longer transition period, arguing that smaller firms lack the compliance infrastructure of larger platforms. The revised timeline was described by one industry association as workable, though several members said they would seek further clarity on cross-border data transfer rules once the authority issues its first set of guidelines.

Opposition members who had opposed early drafts of the bill said the revised version addressed most of their concerns around judicial oversight of enforcement actions. A standing committee will review the authority's first annual report, expected within eighteen months of the bill receiving presidential assent.

The legislation now moves to the upper house, where it is expected to be taken up in the next sitting. If cleared without further amendments, the authority could begin operations as early as the first quarter of next year.