The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has amended the confidentiality regime to restrict access to commercially sensitive information by unauthorised parties via the Competition Commission of India (General) Amendment Regulations, 2022.
It has also introduced the concept of a confidentiality ring that will comprise representatives of parties with access to the confidential information, including the director general’s report. Parties need to give an undertaking certifying the information as claimed and providing clear reasons why it necessitates confidentiality.
The filing of the confidentiality report will be done by either the party itself or any of its employees who are authorised by the board or any other equivalent body. Personal information such as call data records, e-mails, documents obtained through search, seizure etc., will be marked “confidential” and kept separate from the non-confidential records. The CCI will take action against members of the confidentiality ring for breach of any confidentiality obligations.
