Data is the new oil and unscrupulous companies are indulging in data theft and making millions
Our data is being stolen right underneath our noses and we are not even aware of it. What is worse even if come to know of it we cannot do anything about it as there is no law for data protection and privacy in India. Unfortunately, many foreign companies are making use of this loophole in the Indian cyber laws and minting money at the expense of hapless end users. As the new parliament session is to be most likely in November the government must ensure that the personal data protection bill is presented and passed so that at least a framework of data protection can be put in place. To cite just a few examples ever wondered how a person who has the truecaller app installed on his smartphone knows your name and other details though you never authorized or volunteered data to the app? Is it just a coincidence that when you're saving account dips you start getting cold calls for loans? That is because this information is freely available. For instance, the truecaller does not seek your permission to share your data but the person (maybe your friend or relative) who while installing the app gives access to his contacts in which your phone number might be saved under your name. So your information is now available and stored on its servers. Since there are no laws to debar it from doing so it has the stored data in the servers located in India though the company is Swedish. Likewise, many other companies are raking in millions by trading in the data of hapless Indians.
The government withdrew Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill, 2019 to replace it with a new bill with a 'comprehensive framework' and 'contemporary digital privacy laws.' The PDP bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha on December 11, 2019. The bill was referred to Joint Parliamentary Committee, which tabled its report in Lok Sabha on December 16, 2021. Meanwhile, the daylight robbery of data is on in the country. Many even so-called clean companies are involved in buying and selling of data on the deep dark web where you could get any information under the sun; from credit card details to your personal preferences to your personal information -everything is being stolen and sold in the grey market. This is neither good for the individual nor the country as even sensitive information from the government and military is not sacrosanct. To stop data theft a strong personal data protection bill is the need of the hour and should be passed without any delay in the coming winter session.
