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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Protect privacy

Protect privacy

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published Published on Apr 12, 2012   modified Modified on Apr 12, 2012
-The Times of India
 
As consumers open up to digital products, their personal data is being valued more and more as an asset. Facebook's looming $100 billion valuation is based on a presumption of having personal information on millions of users, which can be used to target advertising and content towards them. And Google is moving to collect similar information. Globally, the power of data aggregators is raising serious concerns around consumer privacy and protection. India, however, has neither the protections needed to secure the consumer, nor - going by a recent statement on the subject by a Union minister - perhaps even the will to correct the situation. 

The fundamental problem is not in the collection of user data, but rather that digital services often gather highly sensitive personal information - political preferences, location, religious affiliation etc - despite users not actively consenting to share this data. Google's recent privacy policy changes have put into focus just how much data they are actually collecting, and a storm was raised globally when Google's reply was that users must accept this data collection if they want to use Google's services. 

When this issue was raised in Parliament recently, minister of state for information technologySachin Pilot responded that the Information Technology Act has a proviso requiring websites to publish a privacy policy, but it cannot enjoin what that policy should be. The best he could do was advise user discretion with online services. While his position is factual, it lacks initiative or proactive steps to protect consumers. Indeed, the nub of the issue is that privacy is not a fundamental right in India, unlike in many developed countries. 

This needs to be speedily corrected, so that government can put into place laws to protect consumer rights. Globally, governments are already curbing the powers of multinational internet companies. India should join in that effort with three major measures: One, consumers should actively opt in to choose to share their personal data with services and approve all uses/types of usage. Two, the manner of communication of these choices to consumers should be approved by a governing body, so that consumers understand what they are agreeing to. And three, government should not allow any company to buy, sell, license, transact, or rent consumer data to other organisations, where consumers have not consented to offer their data. Whether this is through a new privacy law, or by strengthening existing regulations including those pertaining to the internet, the fact of the matter is that the government must step in to fulfil a basic responsibility: upholding consumer rights. And quickly.

The Times of India, 12 April, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Protect-privacy/articleshow/12627178.cms


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