Human Security in a Datafying South Asia: Approaching Data Protection

Abstract

In an increasing datafying world, protection of data created and generated as a result of everyday interactions assumes imperativeness. Last year, Europe adopted the General Data Protection Rules (GDPR), which has yet to be subject to substantial reviews to check for inconsistencies and possible blind-spots. Similarly, other national (like India and Brazil) and regional juridical bodies seek to work out frameworks that address data protection. This paper looks at some possible ways to think about Data Protection legislations and practices in South Asia. By alluding to ideas of data justice (Taylor, 2017; Dencik, Hintz & Cable, 2016) and underscoring the idea of ‘multiplicity’ of data regimes, this essay paper draws on the idea of human security (King & Murray, 2001) as central to thinking about data protection legalities. This is does, by placing the protection of the essence, proprietary and otherwise, of the human, at the centre of this legal exercise of formulating data protection legislations, to uphold data democracy.

Keywords: data protection, datafication, South Asia, data democracy, data justice