Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Sunday 15 July 2018

Data Privacy Law : a Pandora’s Box ?





I got that feeling after reading the following :





Extract :


Crimes :
Include obtaining, transfer, disclosure and sale of personal and sensitive data, if it causes harm to the person whose data it is (data principal), and re-identification and processing of previously de-identified personal data.
[  How a citizen will ever get to know that someone to whom he gave personal data , has caused him harm , through misuse of data ?  
How must this aggrieved citizen go about to “ prove “ that a “ harm “ has been caused to him by such misuse ?  Would he even remember to whom did he give what personal data – and for what legitimate “ use “ ?
By filing court cases against 200 search engines / mobile apps / e-com sites / govt agencies  ?  ]


Punishment :
For “ intentional or reckless behaviour ” that leads to the crimes, which it wants to be made cognisable and non-bailable.
In case the crime has been committed by a company or body corporate, including government departments, the responsibility would lie with the person in charge of conducting the company’s business or the head of a government department.
[  If such a “ transfer / sale / disclosure “ of personal data  cannot  be proved to have caused “ harm “, will that behaviour not be “ intentional or reckless “  ?  ]


Compensation :
To be paid to “ data principals “ in case any harm is caused to them for infringement.
[  Who decides what was the “ quantum “ of harm and what is the commensurate “ quantum “ of compensation ? Won’t this differ from one case to another ? ]




Absolves :


The in-charge of all responsibility if he or she shows that the crime was committed without his/her knowledge or that all reasonable efforts had been taken to prevent the crime from being committed.


[  All data flows from one computer to another computer or even to some other

   internet-connected device , such as a car / refrigerator / smart watch / TV etc .

   Most of the time such transfers are happening round the clock, with no one watching /

   no one knowing / no one asking for any permission from anyone !


According to one expert , by 2022 , there will be 50 internet connected devices in each

home ( IoT – Internet of Things ) – each sending out a lot of your personal / private

data, to their respective manufacturers / ISPs / Operating Systems )


Will anyone know what device is sending out which information to whom and when ? ]


 


Data collected under Aadhaar :


Would be out of the scope and purview of the proposed law.

This recommendation may not find favour with those who have opposed the unique identification system on the ground that the collection and dissemination of Aadhaar data leaves citizens vulnerable.


[  What about Aadhar-linked data collected by government agencies for hundreds of

 Direct Benefit Schemes , which it has shared with Banks and Financial Institutions ? ]




Registration :

All data collectors would have to get registered with the DPA.

[  Each and every business establishment which is selling any product or service , online
   ( includes all search engines / e-com sites / mobile apps ), will need to register .
   Soon that will cover 50 million MSME of India !

   Would this cover all FOREIGN data collectors as well over which Indian Laws have no
   jurisdiction  ?  Is this , at all practical / feasible ?  ]


========================================================



Data Ombudsman :

To adjudicate complaints between “ data principals “ and “ data fiduciaries “
Appeals against orders of the data ombudsman will be made to an appellate tribunal.
The Supreme Court will hear appeals against orders of this appellate tribunal.


[  How many years will it take for the complaint to travel from Ombudsman  to
   Appellate tribunal  to Supreme Court  ?

   My guess  :  15 years  ]


Could we have anticipated these “ questions “ while drafting the Law  ?

And found some practical  answers to those questions before opening up the Pandora’s Box ?

Possibly , if the policy makers :

and the members of SriKrishna Committee :

      secy-dot@nic.in

      ceo@uidai.gov.in


      moona@iitk.ac.in

      grai@deity.gov.in



had carefully read my following emails – especially my oft-repeated suggestion to induct some
 IT technocrats (eg: Nandan Nilekani / nandan.nilekani@nic.in ) in the Committee


There is a possibility that the Hon Judges of the Supreme Court found time to read my emails – 
in which case , they might ask these questions to the Government advocate , when the first case
 reaches its doors  !



( 1 )   Privacy ? What is that ?  [  04 May 2017  ]

( 2 )  Delusion of Privacy ?      [  10  June  2017  ]

 

( 3 )  2024 ! – V 2.0 of Orwellian 1984 ?  [  07  July  2017  ]

 

( 4 )  Privacy ? Perish the Thought !  [  18  July  2017  ]

 

( 5 )  #RighttoPrivacy ! Thank You Your Honours ! [ 19 July 2017 ]

 

( 6 )  Privacy does not live here !  [  22  July  2017  ]

 

( 7 )  Future is Nearer !  [  31  July  2017  ]

 

( 8 )  Three got it Right !  [  02  Aug  2017  ]

 

( 9 )  My Birth-Right : Trying to Influence  [  04  Aug  2017  ]

 

( 10 )  https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/08/wwwprivacyforsalecom.html  [  26

          Aug  2017  ]

 

( 11 )  Right to Sell My Soul ?  [  27  Aug  2017  ]

 

( 12 )  A Fool’s Paradise ?  [  29  Aug  2017  ]

 

( 13 )  Aadhar - for HR ?  [  02  Sept 2017  ]

 

( 14 )  Wherefore Art Thou, O Romeo ?  [  20  Sept  2017  ]

 

( 15 )  Data Privacy : We are getting overtaken !  [  26  Sept  2017  ]

 

( 16 )  7  Pillars  of  Data  Protection  Law [ 27  Nov  2017  ]

 

( 17 )  Just  Ask  Google  ! [  28  Nov  2017  ]

 

( 18 )  Here is the Proof  [  30  Nov  2017  ]

 

( 19 )  Data Protection without Data Privacy ?  [ 08  Jan  2018  ]

 

( 20 )  PRIVACY : A Lost Battle  [  15  Jan  2018  ]

 

( 21 )  Aadhar : Supremely Satisfying ?  [  19  Jan  2018  ]

 

( 22 )  Aadhar Fact : Privacy Fiction ?  [  19  Jan  2018  ]

 

( 23 )  Aadhar : Dawn of Realism ?  [  23  Jan  2018  ]

 

( 24 )  Oh ! for some learned arguments !  [  25  Jan  2018  ]

 

( 25 )  Aadhar : Supreme Asks : What if ?  [  30  Jan  2018  ]

 

( 26 )  A Hostile Advocate ?  [  07  Feb  2018  ]

 

( 27 )  Big Brother is watching us ! And how !  [  09  Feb  2018  ]

 

( 28 )  Nightmare ? #Aadhar #Privacy #DataProtection  [  04  March  2018  ]

 

( 29 )  A  Drop  in  the  Ocean  ?  [  20 March  2018  ]

 

( 30 )  Trade  Off  :   Privacy  vs  LiveEasy  ?  [  25  March  2018  ]

 

( 31 )  From  Tele-phony  to  Tele-Empathy  ?  [  27 March  2018  ]

 

( 32 )  Facebook   Replies  [  29  March  2018  ]

 

( 33 )  How  Do  You  Control  Wind  ?  [ 11  April  2018 ]

 

( 34 )  Dear Hon CJI , Shri Dipak Misraji  [  13  April  2018  ]

 

( 35 )  Parekh’s Law of #Privacy ?  [  15  April  2018  ]

 

( 36 )  Facebook  :  The  Formidable  [  27  April  2018  ]


( 37 )  Everything  You   Do  ?  [  03  May  2018  ]


( 38 )  Making best of a bad bargain ?  [  09  June  2018  ]

 

( 39 )  Enforcing  is  difficult  ?  [  13  June  2018  ]

 

( 40 )  This is just the Beginning !  [  09  July  2018  ]

 

( 41 )  Social Media Hub ? Where is the need ? [ 13 July 2018 ]

 

 

 

16 July 2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Friday 13 July 2018

Social Media Hub ? Where is the need ?





Today’s papers carry following headlines :



‘Surveillance state’: SC raps government over WhatsApp tracking 



Extracts from News papers :


"A technology platform is needed to collect digital media chatter from all core social media platforms as well as digital platforms such as news, blogs... In a single system providing real-time insights, metrics and other valuable data," the tender document says.
Under the project, media persons would be employed on contractual basis in each district to be the "eyes and ears" of the government and provide real-time updates from the ground.
The tender document says the platform is expected to provide automated reports, tactical insights and comprehensive work-flows to initiate engagement across digital channels.
"The platform maybe used to disseminate content and hence, should support publishing features," the document says, adding the platform needs to power a real-time New Media Command Room," according to the tender document.

It adds that the tool must have “listening and responding capabilities” with respect to “standard digital channels” such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, email, and blogs and also be able to analyse sentiment of posts on social media as “positive, negative and neutral”.

According to Mahua Moitra, the social media analytical tool is expected to ‘listen’ to conversations on all major digital channels including email without any authorisation in violation of the Telegraph Act.



Before trying to answer the question “ Where is the need ? “ , let us understand ,


  What is the need to monitor the Social Media ?  What is the purpose ? “


 

Not having read the tender document , I do not know whether it contains , a para or two , about the “ purpose / object “ behind government’s desire to create this Social Media Hub

 

At least , in the news reports sited above , there is no mention of any PURPOSE , nor any mention of exactly HOW the collected info / data will be used  !

 

Will it be used for a  BENEVOLENT  purpose ?  for the  BENEFIT  of all the citizens ?

 

Or , will it be used , to catch and punish , only those citizens who engage in some kind of ANTI-SOCIAL activities ?

 

In such a case , what is a comprehensive definition of an ANTI-SOCIAL activity ?

 

Does a mere THOUGHT which is not in congruence with the government policy , constitute an “ anti-social activity “  ?

 

Does an expression ( tweet / post / photo / article / comment etc ), which hurts the feelings of any section of the Society, an “ anti-social activity “ ?

 

 

And this “ lack of clarity of purpose “ , is what makes this initiative SCARY  !

 

How come there is no preamble to the tender document which reads :

 

 

PREAMBLE :

 

  The entire idea behind Social Media Hub is to “ nip in the bud / pre-empt “ any potentially ANTI-SOCIAL activity [ even at the level of “ Man ( thoughts ) “ , but certainly at the level of “ Wachan ( speech / expression )”  ] , before it manifests itself in the form of “Karma “ ( Evil / Anti-Social ACTIONS )

 

Under no circumstance , will such monitoring of the Social Media Life / Presence / Existence, will be used to harass a person ( or a group of persons ), merely for their beliefs which are different from beliefs held by other ( majority or minority ) citizens , as long as such beliefs are not “ Anti Social “ as defined here under “

 

 

Where is the need  ?

 

If Government accepts that its purpose behind wanting to set up this Social Media Hub , is as I described above , the right way to go about is to implement :

 

Fast Forward to Future - 3 F   [ 20 Oct 2016 ]

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/06/in-hindu-mythology-brahma-creator.html

 

Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen ( both from Google ) wrote in 2013

:  THE  NEW  DIGITAL  AGE  ( page : 181 ) :

 

Eventually, we will see the emergence of industry-wide standards


All digital platforms will forge a common policy with respect to dangerous extremist videos online, just as they have coalesced in establishing policies governing child pornography


There is a fine line between censorship and security, and we must create safeguards accordingly



THE INDUSTRY WILL WORK AS A WHOLE TO DEVELOP SOFTWARE THAT MORE EFFECTIVELY IDENTIFIES VIDEOS WITH TERRORIST CONTENT



Some in the industry may even go so far as employing speech-recognition software that registers strings of keywords or facial recognition software that identifies known terrorists

 

 

I urge CJI , Shri Dipak Misraji to raise these questions during the next hearing

 


14  July  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs