Research Scholar, Department of Law, Baba Masthnath University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
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Right to Privacy and Digital Surveillance in India: A Constitutional and Legal Analysis
International Journal of Arts, Commerce, Science and Technology International Open Access, Peer-reviewed, Refereed Journal
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10.65919/ijacst.2026.v2i5001
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Received
12 March 2026
Accepted
14 April 2026
Published
30 May 2026
Abstract
The rapid growth of digital technologies has significantly expanded the capacity of governments and private entities to collect, monitor, analyse, and retain personal information. This development has intensified concerns regarding the constitutional protection of privacy in India. The present study examines the right to privacy as a fundamental right and evaluates the legal framework governing digital surveillance. It analyses the constitutional principles established in Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India, with particular emphasis on legality, legitimate purpose, necessity, proportionality, and procedural safeguards. The study further examines relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. It explores major forms of surveillance, including communication interception, metadata monitoring, location tracking, facial recognition, biometric databases, social-media monitoring, and automated profiling. The analysis identifies several concerns, such as limited independent oversight, lack of transparency, broad governmental exemptions, mass-data collection, weak accountability, technological misuse, and inadequate remedies. The study concludes that surveillance may serve legitimate objectives, including national security and criminal investigation, but must remain constitutionally controlled. A balanced framework requires clear legal authority, limited data collection, secure storage, defined retention periods, independent review, institutional accountability, and effective remedies against unlawful or disproportionate surveillance.
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Copyright © 2026 International Journal of Arts, Commerce, Science and Technology. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.
How to Cite
Tanisha (2026). Right to Privacy and Digital Surveillance in India: A Constitutional and Legal Analysis. International Journal of Arts, Commerce, Science and Technology, 2(5), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.65919/ijacst.2026.v2i5001
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References
Showing first 3 references. Click “Show All References” to view complete list.
- 1. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, No. 46, Acts of Parliament, 2023 (India). https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/20099/1/eng.pdf
- 2. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, No. 22, Acts of Parliament, 2023 (India). https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/22037/1/a2023-22.pdf
- 3. The Information Technology Act, 2000, No. 21, Acts of Parliament, 2000 (India). https://www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/1999
- 4. The Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring or Decryption of Information) Rules, 2009, Gazette of India, Extraordinary (2009). https://www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/1362/simple-search?query=Information+Technology+%28Procedures+and+Safeguards+for+Interception%2C+Monitoring+or+Decryption+of+Information%29+Rules%2C+2009.&searchradio=rules
- 5. Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India, (2017) 10 SCC 1 (Supreme Court of India). https://api.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2012/35071/35071_2012_Judgement_24-Aug-2017.pdf
- 6. Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. (2026). The Constitution of India (English version). https://www.legislative.gov.in/documents/constitution-of-india/constitution-of-india-AjN2EjMtQWa?pageTitle=Constitution-of-India
- 7. The Telecommunications Act, 2023, No. 44, Acts of Parliament, 2023 (India). https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/20101/1/A2023-44.pdf
- 8. Kaur, K. (2024). Digital surveillance and indian privacy laws. LawFoyer International Journal of Doctrinal Legal Research, 3(1), 61–77. https://doi.org/10.70183/lijdlr.2024.v03.4
- 9. Rai, N. (2020). Right to Privacy and Data Protection in the Digital Age – Preservation, Control and Implementation of Laws in India. Indian Journal of Law and Justice, 11(1), 115–129. https://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/4009
- 10. Kumar, A., & Sharma, R. (2026). The right to privacy in the era of mass surveillance in India: A constitutional perspective. ResearchGate Preprint, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.39969.34453
- 11. Gupta, S. (2026). Constitutional limits on digital surveillance in India: Privacy, power, and the modern state under the DPDP Act. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), 14(5), 5005–5018. https://www.ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT26A5005.pdf
- 12. Singh, P. (2026). The right to privacy in the age of surveillance. Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research, 8(2), 1–18. https://www.ijllr.com/post/the-right-to-privacy-in-the-age-of-surveillance
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