Misuse of data ends when the bill is passed: the minister warns against sharing mobile numbers with retailers

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar has advised people not to share their mobile numbers with a retailer unless there is a “legitimate 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 chewing gum at one of the bookstores at the IGI airport, he was asked to share his phone number.

When he asked the merchant about the need to share his phone number, Thakur was told it was for “security reasons.” But as a Twitter user explained, when he inquired more about the so-called security factor, he got no response.

Apparently, the store manager was summoned after the meeting with Thakur, who further stated on Twitter “what amazed me was that so many fellow travelers obediently disclosed this information without batting an eye”.

Minister Chandrasekhar said, “The misuse of digital personal data of Indians will end with the passage of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP).”

The DPDP bill defines the rights and obligations of the citizen and the obligations of the trustee to use the collected information legally. It proposes to impose obligations on companies or data trustees that determine the purposes and means of processing.

In addition, the draft law aims to regulate entities that process such data, called data processors, in accordance with the decisions of companies.

Worry

Return Byte contacted mFilterIt founder and CEO Amit Relan, who said using phone numbers for marketing purposes has become a common practice globally, including in India.

“Retailers play the trust card to gain access to customers’ first-party data. To ensure there is no doubt in the customer’s mind, they claim to offer a personalized experience and access to loyalty programs,” Relan said.

But he also believes that collecting phone numbers leads to various abuses.

“The information collected is a gold mine and is sold to third parties without permission. In some cases, it also leads to invasion of privacy and financial loss,” he added.

Meanwhile, Major Vineet Kumar, founder and global president of the CyberPeace Foundation, told Return Byte that in the case of the Delhi airport, it seems unreasonable for a bookstore to ask for a phone number just to buy a pack of gum and even if they claim it is for “security purposes” that information is unlikely to be legitimate the need.

According to him, everyone has the right to refuse such requests, and he should also be free to seek additional information, because the most important thing is to get information and make decisions without compromising privacy and personal data.

Further, the expert said, “The DPDP Act would strengthen the privacy of individuals in India and give them more control over their personal data.”

Read all the Latest Tech News here.