Dear Shri Rajeev
Chandrasekharji,
Just came across following
news report :
Revised
data protection law ready, will ease compliance /
15 Nov 2022
Extact :
“
Companies misusing user data will face “punitive
and financial"
consequences once the proposed data protection law comes into effect, Rajeev
Chandrashekhar, minister of state for information technology, said in a tweet
on Tuesday.
“India’s #DigitalDataProtection bill will put a stop to this,
& ensure that any platform or intermediary that does this will face
punitive & financial consequences."
According to the two officials cited above, the updated version of the bill will deal with personal data and leave out non-personal data. Additionally, it will also deal with digital data, that
is, data obtained through digital means, such as apps and websites, they added.
Dear Shri Chandrasekharji,
The
greatest MISUSE of USER
DATA , by companies ( especially , online BIG TECH social media ) is :
“ Without
explicit permission from users, compiling and SELLING
that data to Advertisers for BILLIONS of dollars and NOT COMPENSATING
those users, even one penny “
I
hope , in this regard , you have read my following suggestions ( sent , at
least 15 times in past 30 months ) and that you will incorporate the same in
your revised bill :
SARAL ( Single Authentic Registration
for Anywhere Login )….[ 10 Feb 2019 ]
Digital Dividend from Demographic Data [
4 D ]………… …………….[ 14 Feb 2019 ]
Privacy for Sale ………………………………………………………………………..[ 26 Aug 2017 ]
If
DEPA = Foundation , then SARAL = Superstructure ……………….[ 08 May 2022 ]
Related Readings :
Context :
Pre-installation of C-DAC app store to be
made mandatory / The Hindu Business Line / 6 Oct
2022
Extract :
Pre-installed apps on mobile phones will be stopped
In
a major push to promote an indigenous digital ecosystem
for mobile phones,
the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has firmed up
an action plan to develop, promote and ensure mandatory
usage of app store developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced
Computing ( C-DAC ).
In
a meeting convened last month, it was decided that to ensure fair competition
in the mobile phone market, pre-installed
apps may be stopped, and the matter was forwarded to the Industrial
Promotion Electronics & Hardware Group (IPHW) in MeitY for action.
Further
pre-installation of app store developed
by MeitY through its R&D arm, C-DAC, is to be
made mandatory in mobile phones, said sources.
Meanwhile,
MeitY has convened a review meeting this month to assess the progress made on
the action plan .
For
mandatory pre-installation of Google apps, the European Commission had imposed a fine on Google and the CCI is also looking into the
issue.
Earlier,
in 2019, the CCI had prima facie found Google’s restrictions on OEMs ( requiring them to pre-install certain
Google apps ) amounting to
imposition of “unfair conditions”, whereby Google reduced the ability and
incentive of device manufacturers to develop and sell devices operated on
alternate versions of Android.
Govt
to mandate pre-installation of its own app store in mobiles /
BL / 05 Oct 2022
Extract :
In a major push to promote indigenous
digital ecosystem in mobile phones, the Ministry of Electronics &
Information Technology (MeitY) has firmed up an action plan to develop, promote
and ensure mandatory usage of app store developed by
C-DAC.
In a meeting convened last month, it
was decided that to ensure fair competition in the mobilephone market, pre-installed apps may be stopped
=====================================================
This would be wonderful and I believe, a large majority of mobile owners would
welcome it
Today, all mobiles come pre-installed with hundreds of Apps ( including those for
which , you do not even get to see an icon ) . I remember my Samsung mobile
frequently showing following notification :
“ Updating 334 apps on your device “
Most people hardly bother to even find out if they can delete these pre-installed
apps !
‘WhatsApp has been a
surveillance tool for 13 years’. Telegram founder Pavel Durov.
(
ET /
10 Oct 2022 )
Extract :
Durov in a Telegram
post on Durov’s Channel said that hackers could potentially could have full access to
everything on the Smartphone of WhatsApp users . He said that it was
possible through a Security issue which was disclose by WhatsApp itself, last
week
CCI
Slaps INR 1,338 Cr Penalty On Google For Abuse Of Dominant Position
Extract :
Lashing
out at Google, the watchdog directed it to not force OEMs to pre-install its proprietary applications or decide their placement. It also
warned Google against linking licensing of Play Store to OEMs with the
requirement of pre-installing Google search services and other apps.
Besides,
Google was specifically told to not deny access to its Play Services APIs and
also warned against offering any incentives, monetary or otherwise, to OEMs for
entering into exclusivity contracts
The CCI
also barred the US-based company from restricting uninstallation of pre-installed apps by users on their
phones.
In one of
the biggest takeaways for the developer community, the CCI directed Google to not restrict distribution of apps through
side-loading.
Side-loading
refers to directly installing
Android apps via an APK, rather
than going to the Play Store. While side-loading comes with its own set of
security challenges, the near total
monopoly of Google in the app marketplace
segment hands the tech giant overwhelming power.
“Google shall allow the users, during the initial device setup, to
choose their default search engine for all search entry points. Users should
have the flexibility to easily set as well as easily change the default
settings in their devices, in minimum steps possible,” added the competition
watchdog.
France slaps fine on face
recognition firm Clearview AI…………………[ 21 Oct 2022 ]
Extract :
The company collects images of faces from
websites and social media feeds without seeking permission
and sells “ access “ to its vast database –
reportedly around 20 BILLION pictures – to clients, including Law Enforcement
Agencies
Texas sues Google for
allegedly capturing biometric data of millions without consent / 21 Oct 2022
Extract :
Texas has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet's
Google for allegedly collecting biometric data of millions of Texans without
obtaining proper consent
The complaint says
that Companies operating in Texas have been barred for more than a decade from collecting
people’s faces, voices or other biometric data without advanced
informed consent
9
Sneaky iOS 16 Settings You Need To Turn Off Now /
Medium / 19 Oct
2022
Extract :
#
Notifications while on Screen Sharing
#
Auto-join Hotspot
# Privacy Preserving Ad
Measurement
# Backup over Cellular
#
Preload Top Hit
#
Analytics & Improvements
#
Apple Marketing Subscriptions
#
In-App Ratings & Reviews
# Spotlight Search on Home Screen
This New AI-Powered Search Engine Could One Day
Replace the All-Knowing Google
Extract :
You.com is a new search engine that is powered by artificial intelligence.
And it’s a search engine that gives users control over
when and how their data is collected.
You’s interface is clutter-free, focusing on the
results, while not delivering a single ad
The other great thing about You is the search
engine never plans to sell ads on or
trade its users’ data to boost revenue
One unique
niche that You.com is catering to is software developers.
A developer
can easily and seamlessly search through repositories of code right from the
site’s search interface.
For
developers, this is a godsend.
No more
jumping to a dozen code repositories (i.e., GitHub, Stack Overflow, etc.) to
find that one code snippet they need to complete a project.
====================================================
Why
In The Future, Privacy Will Be A Thing Of The Past /
Medium / 14
Nov 2022
Extract :
Our information is
everywhere. We have allowed it
to be everywhere without choice, in a lot of cases. To open a bank account we have no choice but to
supply all our information. It is the same with Government departments. The tax office knows almost everything about
you and so does the medicare system. So how can it possible get any worse.
Looking to the future, government agencies and law enforcement agencies
could deploy more sophisticated tracking devices. This includes the much
anticipated smart dust.
These are tiny sensors that would monitor practically anything, from light and temperature
to chemicals and vibrations.
These particles could be sprinkled
around Earth and function as
the eyes and ears of the planet. In
conjunction with powerful data mining algorithms, virtually everything we do would be
monitored.
