Category: Digital

Businesses gear up for DPDP Rules with privacy policy updates, appoint Data Officers

The public feedback period on draft DPDPA rules was accepted till March 5, 2025. While businesses continue to strengthen their internal structure to comply with the rules, many industry bodies have pointed out the difficulties in achieving so- especially by the small-scale startup and businesses.

From Meta to Muthoot Fincorp and Fynd, companies across sectors are looking for Data Protection Officers to comply with draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rule, while also strengthening data security measures and building data governance structures.

Trump confirms multiple bidders for TikTok as sale deadline looms

Neither TikTok nor ByteDance has commented on the situation outside regular business hours.

TikTok’s future has been uncertain since a law requiring its parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform on national security grounds, or face a ban, came into effect on January 19.

Global smartwatch market witnesses first-ever decline; fell 7% in 2024

Weakness in the basic smartwatch market originated in India, where consumer demand waned due to a slow replacement cycle, lack of innovation, and unsatisfactory user experiences among first-time buyers, according to the Counterpoint report. (Image source: Unsplash)

According to the Counterpoint Research report, the smartwatch market is expected to recover slowly and witness single-digit percentage growth in 2025. Both Android and iOS smartwatches are expected to integrate more AI capabilities and advanced sensors.

Short-video platforms’ adex to surge by 30%; advertisers split over homegrown apps’ effectiveness

India’s short video platforms generated around $100 million in FY24, contributing ~2% to the digital ad spend.

Homegrown short-video platforms are seeing renewed advertiser interest despite ongoing concerns over monetization, content moderation, and algorithmic shortcomings. While YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels dominate the market, homegrown platforms are banking on hyper-local content to carve out a niche.

NASSCOM opposes DPDPA rules on cross-border data transfer restrictions

NASSCOM opposed the government's plan to restrict cross-border data transfer by SDFs, asserting that the proposal risks causing unintended uncertainty about international data transfers.

Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy group, NASSCOM, has opposed the government’s plan to restrict cross-border data transfer by significant data fiduciaries, asserting that the move could discourage investment, impact global competitiveness, and increase compliance costs for companies.

Social media blunder helps Kochi police bust international piracy network

Streaming Pakistani channels in India is illegal and poses a potential national security threat. The Kerala Police are now considering filing more serious charges against the accused, depending on further investigations.

The suspects are allegedly also part of an international piracy syndicate that streamed banned Pakistani channels through their website.

Nazara sells 94.86% stake in Openplay, will invest Rs 2.17 crore in ReelSaga

ReelSaga targets India's mobile-first youth with short, serialized video series. The app will offer bite-sized entertainment, with episodes lasting one to two minutes, and monetize through per-episode microtransactions and subscription options for high-spending users.

ReelSaga, founded in 2024, aims to become a leader in India’s serialized short drama video market, a rapidly growing segment in the US and China.