New Data Rules Disrupt Daily Ops

 Hyderabad: The sudden enforcement of India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, has pushed the technology sector, public offices, schools and hospitals into a hurried compliance drive, as the amended Right to Information Act now restricts disclosure of personal information. The shift has brought reassurance on privacy but also anxiety over reduced public visibility into government processes.

Start-ups in the city said the immediate pressure is operational. “We were expecting a phased rollout. Now every consent flow, child-data check and storage audit has to be fixed almost overnight,” said a founder of a Hyderabad-based fintech platform in the Financial District. Cybersecurity, legal and engineering teams have begun reworking user permissions, audit trails and internal access logs.

Civil society groups fear the amendment to the RTI Act could weaken everyday scrutiny. RTI volunteers who track land approvals, civic works and welfare lists said access to information that exposes misuse often includes personal details. Hyderabad RTI activist Veena Naik said, “We understand the importance of privacy, but information that reveals patterns of misuse often involves personal details. The concern is that officials may now reject more applications than before.”

Government-linked institutions are balancing two obligations: protecting citizens’ data under the new rules while deciding what can still be shared under the revised transparency law. A senior official at Osmania University said the uncertainty lies in defining boundaries for information that previously fell into a grey zone, especially faculty records, selection processes and student grievance files.

Cybersecurity coach M. Obeid said the rules may push smaller companies to seek external compliance support. Firms working with children, including ed-tech providers and coaching centres, will have to strengthen age verification and parental consent procedures, he added.

For ordinary citizens, the changes may alter how they engage with apps, hospitals and service providers, as consent notices become more frequent and data retention tighter. At the same time, Obeid said, the ability to probe civic lapses through information requests might be reduced. The coming months will be critical in determining how quickly the ecosystem adapts and whether the city can balance stronger privacy norms with meaningful public oversight.

GFX Points

· DPDP Rules enforced: sudden rollout triggers urgent compliance in tech firms, schools, hospitals and public offices.

· RTI tightened: new restrictions on personal-data disclosure raise concerns about reduced transparency.

· Start-up scramble: firms rush to fix consent flows, child-data checks, storage audits and access controls.

· Institutional confusion: universities and departments are unsure what information can still be shared under amended RTI norms.

· Public impact: more consent prompts for users, stricter data handling and possible increase in RTI rejections.