Smart Cars , Safe Cars , Social Cars ?

Today’s Times of India carries an article , titled :

“ Telematics can detect even yawns and trigger alert : Soon , all of us will be driving smart , safe cars  “

Article goes on to list following features of such a SMART  DRIVE :

GETTING  TELEMATICS-READY :

·         Any car can be made smart using RFID stickers , mobile apps or retrofitted devices

·         Fast 4G cellular networks will make services available across country

WHAT  IT  CAN  DO :

·         Alert police, hospitals and family after an accident

·         Give drivers real-time alerts from social media data

·         Alert fleet-owners to bad weather and roadblocks on the way

·         Re-route past nearest  fuel station if tyre pressure is low

·         Capture video/photo evidence of accident, dispute or crime

·         Detect driver fatigue and send alerts

·         Continuously monitor truckers for distractions such as cell phones and meals

So much for the “ SMART “ and the “ SAFE “

Can telematics make cars ( for that matter , ALL vehicles ) also “ SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE “  ?

Not only it can , it must !

If you do not have time to go through my following blogs , reproduced below , is a partial list , from

  “  Internet  of Vehicles  “  {  04  March  2017  }

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/03/internet-of-vehicles-iov.html

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   Most vehicles will  be electric ( essentially , “ computers on wheels “ ), automatically determining the best / shortest, route / stops and optimizing vehicle performance . Mobile Apps will be a governing device

·         Vehicles will be internet connected with one another , exchanging data

·         Vehicles will be internet connected with servers of Transport Authorities / Traffic Police / Pollution Control Boards and a host of other governmental / institutional organizations , and be relaying all sorts of data  24*7 .  Vehicles will report accidents ( being hit ) and thefts ( being stolen ) , on their own !

·         All vehicles will carry a whole lot of “ Sensors “ , which will continuously “ monitor “ the conditions of the vehicles and relay the same to all the authorities

·         All vehicles will be equipped with RADAR – LIDAR –CAMERAS – GPS locators – / Augmented Reality  etc , to avoid collisions / accidents

·         Prepaid RFID chips ( linked to Aadhar / Bank Accounts  ? ) for Road Taxes / Insurance Premiums / Toll charges / Fines / Carbon Credits ( through DBT )

·         In-Built Sensors will measure , ( and request maintenance on their own ! ),

#   Engine ( or Electric Motor ) temperature

     #   Pressures / Displacements / Compression Ratios in case of petrol / diesel

          Vehicles / Battery Charge Levels / fuel consumption

     #   Emission Levels ( PM2.5 / CO2 etc ) in petrol / diesel vehicles

     #   Tyre pressures / wear and tear of moving parts / RPM

     #   Vehicle speed / acceleration / braking distance

     #   Proximity to other moving / stationary vehicles or objects

     #   Weather conditions / Visibility levels / Traffic Density

     #   Condition of the road being traversed ( co-efficient of friction )

     #   Condition of the person driving ( sleepy / drunk etc )

     #   Whatever else you want “ measured / monitored / relayed “

To know , how such an Internet of Vehicles ( IoV ) can solve the various problems listed above , you may want to read my following earlier blogs (  all sent as emails to NDA ministers ) :

·         Un-Implementable Laws : Unstoppable Corruption ( 20 Feb 2017 )

     { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/02/un-implementable-laws-unstoppable.html  }

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·         Welcome ! Elon Musk  (  10  Feb  2017  )

 { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/02/welcome-elon-musk.html  }

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·         Let us Leapfrog the World !  ( 27  Nov  2016 )

  {  https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/11/let-us-leapfrog-world.html  }

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·         A Step in the Right Direction  (  26  Nov  2016  )

 { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-step-in-right-direction.html }

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·         One Car per Family ?  ( 27  Sept  2016  )

  {  https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/09/one-car-per-family.html  }

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·         From OLD to NEW ? No , go NEWER !  ( 22  Sept  2016  )

  { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/09/from-old-to-new-no-go-newer.html  }

·         Horn  OK  ?  (  22  Aug  2016  )

       { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/08/horn-ok.html  }

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·         A Rickshaw  by  Any  Other Name  ?  ( 20  Aug  2016  )

       { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-rickshaw-by-any-other-name.html }

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·         All  Charged  Up  ?  (  15  Aug  2016  )

       { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/08/all-charged-up.html  }

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·         Retiring  Old  Vehicles  - Gadkari  style ?  ( 30  May  2016  )

    { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/05/retiring-old-vehicles-gadkari-style.html }

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·         Piyush  Plan   (  27  March  2017  )

     { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/03/piyush-plan.html  }

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·         Pollution  Solution – aka  “  PollSolve “  (  30  Dec  2015  )

    {  https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2015/12/pollution-solution-aka-pollsolv.html  }

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IoV will pave the way to IoT  !

31  Aug  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Never file a Court Case ?

This advice , despite being  very sound , is not always possible to follow for everyone

There are times when one just cannot avoid going to a court for redress of some perceived injustice

But , before you do , consider this :

·         In all the Indian Courts , there are 3.15 crore cases pending disposal

·         Of these , over 10 % are pending for over 10 years , due to repeated adjournments by judges

Now , the Code of Criminal Procedure ( CrPC ) says :

“ No judge can give repeated adjournments in a case – not more than three – unless it is extremely unavoidable

In cases where more than three adjournments are given, a judge has to record the reasons for the same

 “

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The government wants High Courts to monitor and regularly provide figures to it on the cases disposed of by district courts , in which the courts have adhered to the limit of three adjournments as mandated in CPC ( Civil Procedure Code )

I urge the government to AUTOMATE such DATA COMPILATION , by implementing Mobile App :

AdJourn  

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/08/an-app-called-adjourn.html

31  Aug  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs  

Kenya shows the Way

Mumbai Mirror ( 29 Aug ) carries a report titled :

“  Kenya’s new law against plastic bags is the toughest in the World “

Kenyans producing , selling or even using plastic bags , will risk imprisonment of up to FOUR YEARS or fines of $ 40,000 ( Rs 26 LAKH ), from Monday, as the World’s toughest law aimed at reducing plastic pollution came into effect

The East African nation joins more than 40 other countries that have banned , partly banned or taxed , single use plastic bags , including China , France , Rwanda and Italy

Kenya’s law allows police to go after ANYONE even carrying a plastic bag

But Judy Wakhungu , Kenya’s environment minister, said enforcement would initially be directed at MANUFACTURERS and SUPPLIERS

It took Kenya three attempts over 10 years to finally pass the ban , and not everyone is a fan

And let us not blame “ Our Democratic System “ by saying :

Such draconian laws can only be enforced under DICTATORSHIP

Most of those 40 countries have democratic system of government  !

It is only a question of ,

·         Political  Will  ( - to enact such a law )

·         Police  Will     ( - to enforce such a law )

A major reason for the deluge that Mumbai experienced over the past 2 days , is that the plastic bags and bottles had choked up all of the rain water drains

It is not enough to blame people / try to persuade people

It is time to make them feel AFRAID / VERY AFRAID , to use plastic

And should our Plastic Packaging Manufacturers want to “ Re-invent “ themselves , they will find a 

“ Solution for Survival “ at :

Water, Water , Everywhere  ?

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/04/water-water-everywhere-even-in-latur.html

31  Aug  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs 

A Fool’s Paradise ?

Today’s Times of India carries following report :

“ Data Sale :Delhi court orders probe against Monster.com “

In the first such case just days after the Supreme Court held privacy to be a fundamental right, a trial court ordered a probe against online jobs portal Monster.com for allegedly selling data on website users to a third party.

Chief metropolitan magistrate Naresh Kumar Laka said online companies could not share personal information of users to a third party without their "informed consent". The apex court noted that there is an urgent need to restrain online firms from invading the privacy of individuals.

CMM Laka said users agreeing with the portal's terms of use and privacy policy would not automatically mean that companies are allowed to share or sell their personal information.

"At the time of entering personal information or data, job-seekers are not aware that the said data can be sold to any third person or that it can be misused. Accordingly, the said ostensible consent of the said applicant/individual cannot be said to be a free, voluntary or informed consent..." he said.
 

"It is common knowledge that when a person applies for a job on the internet, s/he feeds personal information which includes name, address and mobile number. In my opinion, the said data being personal information cannot be transferred /shared / sold to some third person without the consent of the said person," the court said.

In its defence, the company said it had told police that it had entered into a lawful contract for selling data. It relied on the clause of acceptance of agreement between job-seekers and the portal and said the terms of the agreements amount to the company taking consent of all users for sharing of their data.

Here are some points that I request Hon Judge Shri Laka to consider :

·         Instead of requiring a jobseeker to just click “ I Agree “ on , “ Terms and Conditions “ , suppose Monster.com ( and a million other similar sites ) were to require the user to CLICK on a clause such as :

     “  I am of sound mind and body and I have read all the terms and conditions of this site and fully understood the same , without any doubt or reservations .

I consciously and deliberately agree and accept that this web site has full and absolute right to sell my data entered here and supplied by me of my free will , to anyone at any time and for any consideration , including , but not limited to , monetary considerations .

I further declare that I have no claim to any part or whole of such revenue that this site might make by selling my personal data , in the aforementioned manner

I further agree that , in this regard , I fully absolve this web site from any liabilities that might arise from someone misusing my personal data sold by this web site “

{  Highly paid lawyers of Monster.com , will certainly improve on this draft !  }

I have no doubt Shri Laka – and the Supreme Court - would find such EXPLICIT CONTRACT , legally valid and binding , within the scope of the proposed DATA PROTECTION LAW

·         All major job portals of India ( such as , Naukri / Monster / Timesjobs ) , provide their “ JOB SEARCH “ and “ RESUME FORWARDING “ services to the registered jobseekers , FREE

Job-portals make their money by charging a monthly / annual SUBSCRIPTION to their Corporate Subscribers ( upto Rs 5 lakh / year ) , often linked to the number of job-postings and resumes downloaded , per year

They do not charge “ per resume downloaded “ !  But annually  ! So , no sale  ?

Nevertheless , it is nothing less than “ selling a resume “ ( - essentially , selling of “ Personal Data “ ! )

They have been “ selling personal data “ of jobseekers ( to Corporate ) , for decades !

I believe , last year , Naukri.com’s revenue was close to Rs 600 crores , from selling such “ personal data “ of some 50 million jobseekers , to some 200,000 Corporate Subscribers !

And close to 6 million new jobseekers registered on Naukri.com during last year !

Was this income , “ illegal / unlawful “ , just because those jobseekers had merely clicked “ I Agree “ on “ Terms and Conditions “ , and not made an “ informed decision “ ?

In fact , did not those jobseekers  EXPLICITLY  WANT  the portal to send their resumes ( personal data ) , to MILLIONS of EMPLOYERS , without bothering how much money job portal collected from this service  ?

And , does Hon Judge think that those 50 million jobseekers would have refused to “ Submit Resume “ online , if they were required to sign an elaborate “ Acceptance Clause “ , as described earlier ?

And , does Hon Judge think that any Mobile App which , without presenting  to the downloader , such an elaborate / explicit / legally-binding  clause , is also committing a CRIME ? ( all of these are selling data ! )

And , does Hon Judge think that those 127 MILLION , “ Sellers of Private Data in India “ ( type in Google ) , have collected their databases , AFTER obtaining from their SELLERS , such an elaborate / explicit  / informed CONSENT  ? – before selling each data , thousands of times to anyone who pays ?

I am sure legal counsels of Monster.com would want to use these arguments while defending their client

They may also want to consider making Naukri.com / TimesJobs.com and may be other job portals , a “ party to this litigation “ ( - class action suit in reverse ? )

In any case , the Committee constituted under the Chair of Shri B N Srikrishna , should want to consider these points while drafting the DATA  PROTECTION  LAW

It is time to stop living in a FOOL’s PARADISE and provide for a “ Framework for Sale of Private Data “ as outlined in my blogs :

Right  to Sell  My   Soul 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/08/right-to-sell-my-soul.html

Privacy  for Sale 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/08/wwwprivacyforsalecom.html

30  Aug  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs