Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI is dead serious about data security and safety of Indian users.
In a strong signal, they have indicated that a GDPR or General Data Protection Regulation type regulation can be soon introduced in India.
The biggest, and the strongest statement which has come out from TRAI in recent years: User data belongs to the users, and not the companies!
TRAI: Users Data Should Be Protected
A committee headed by Justice B N Srikrishna committee will very soon give its verdict on the sensitive issue of data protection and data security.
Days before the verdict is about to come out, TRAI has issued some strong statements, supporting the safety and sensitivity of user’s data.
Directly pointing out to the tech companies which hoard users’ data, TRAI has said that the ownership of any form of data finally rests with the users, and not the company.
This is a huge, massive statement supporting the principles of GDPR which has shaken the digital world, every where.
Trai chairman R S Sharma said, “We find that telecom users are real owners of data and rest of players are mere custodians.”
TRAI: Why Are Companies Hoarding Data?
TRAI has questioned the intentions and objectives of tech companies, and have directly asked them why ‘unnecessary data’ is being collected and hoarded?
Slamming the complicated, legal language used by tech companies such as social media portals and apps, TRAI said, “One-sided user agreements which are complicated and difficult to understand.”
What Does This Mean?
This means that very soon, Govt. and TRAI can team up, and create strict regulation pertaining to users’ data.
And if what we believe is true, then it shall be based on the GDPR regulations which are now active in full force in Europe, and covers data of all Europeans, whether they are in Europe or not.
Companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Google, Netflix etc which are offering their ‘services’ and collecting users data can be asked to be more transparent, and more honest as to what they do with the data.
Besides, TRAI can also issue guidelines on simplifying the user-agreements, and making the terms and conditions transparent, and easy to understand.
Besides English, the companies can be asked to publish the user-agreements and terms and conditions in other regional languages as well.
We will keep you updated as we receive more information.