The Digital Personal Data Protection Act outlines the rights and obligations of a citizen and the duties of the confidential adviser to use collected data lawfully. (Photo: Shutterstock)
MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar said this after a netizen tweeted that he was asked to share his mobile phone number at a shop in Delhi’s IGI Airport…An expert said marketing firms are playing the ‘trust card’ to access customer data, leading to abuse
State Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar has urged people not to share their mobile numbers with a retailer if there is no “justifiable reason” after a Twitter user shared his experience at Delhi’s IGI Airport on social media.
Dinesh S Thakur, founder of an independent funding organization, tweeted that when he went to buy a pack of gum from one of the bookstores at the IGI airport, he was asked to share his phone number.
When questioned by the shopkeeper about the need to share his phone number, Thakur was told it was for “security purposes”. But, the Twitter user explains, when he inquired more about the so-called safety factor, he got no answer.
Apparently, the manager of the store was summoned after the meeting with Thakur, who further stated on Twitter “what surprised me was that there were so many fellow travelers who obediently divulged this information without even batting an eyelid”.
Minister Chandrasekhar said, “The misuse of digital personal data of Indians will stop after the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill is passed.”
The DPDP bill outlines the rights and duties of a citizen and the duties of the fiduciary to lawfully use collected data. It proposes to impose obligations on companies or data controllers that determine the purposes and means of processing.
In addition, the bill also aims to regulate entities that process such data, known as data processors, in accordance with the decisions of the companies.
The care
News18 reached out to Amit Relan, founder and CEO of mFilterIt, who said using phone numbers for marketing purposes has become a common practice worldwide, including in India.
“Retailers are playing the trust card to access customer first-party data. To ensure there is no doubt in the mind of the customer, they claim to provide a personalized experience and access to loyalty programs,” said Relan.
But he also believes that collecting telephone numbers leads to various forms of abuse.
“The collected data is a goldmine and is sold unauthorized to third parties. In some cases, it also leads to invasion of privacy and financial loss,” he added.
Meanwhile, Major Vineet Kumar, founder and Global President of CyberPeace Foundation told News18 that in the Delhi Airport case, it seems unreasonable for the bookstore to ask for the phone number just to buy a pack of gum and even if they claim it is for “security purposes”, there is probably no legitimate need for this information.
According to him, everyone has the right to say no to such requests and should also feel free to seek more information, as the key is to be informed and make decisions, without compromising privacy and personal information.
Further, the expert said, “The DPDP Act would strengthen the privacy rights of individuals in India and give them more control over their personal data.”
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