Hii , Cambridge Analytica, NAMO app, PayTM, Aadhar card,
there's one thing very common among the controversies that has risen up about
all these apps in the recent times. It is alleged that all these apps are
trying to steal your data. So what's there in your data????????????
Today I'm going to tell you that in this article and also
what the solution is for this. What can be done against it? The controversy of
Cambridge Analytica was in the entire world. This had shook the Governments of
the whole world. Governments have started making laws now related to data
protection and data privacy. So, it's high time now we need a data privacy,
protection law in our country. I would like to tell you in this article how can
this law be made and how can you contribute to it Friends. Come let's see.
Few months ago in Uttar Pradesh, potato farmers wanted to
protest against the things happening with the farmers and they dumped potatoes
outside the houses of the government officials. Uttar Pradesh Government got
agitated with this and to find out who exactly has done this, they tapped more
than 10 thousand phone calls. Can you imagine? It would be some 10-20 people
who must have dumped it but extra 9980 people's phone calls are getting tapped All
of their conversations, whatever they must be talking was being heard by
someone else sitting there. How will you feel if this happens with you? In
another case in Andhra Pradesh, a government website publicly displayed
people's private information. They didn't wanted to do it but since the website
was so unsecured that it happened. This data was about a Government medical
store and the information about people, their phone numbers and the details of
the medicines purchased by them was leaked. This could have been seen online.
First I would like to tell you some history. There were many
controversies coming up about Aadhar card since the last one or two years. There
were many cases where people's name, phone number, resident addresses were
displayed publicly. It was very easy to hack Aadhar's database. People's
information, name, and phone number everything was available online for
everyone to see. When this case was taken to the court our Government argues
that privacy is not a fundamental right. So leaking of data like phone number
name etc. is not a big thing. They said it's not against any fundamental
rights. But last year in August, Supreme Court took a major decision by
declaring privacy as a fundamental right. Privacy is a fundamental right just
like the other rights in the constitution. After this decision by the Supreme Court
Government was compelled to take the action against it. Government's ministry
of Information technology has appointed an expert panel to draft the new data
protection law. This expert panel was head by the Supreme Court’s judge B N Srikrishna. They were given a task
to prepare a draft based on which a law could be made. This draft is now almost
ready friends and in month, June 2018, this expert panel presented the draft
before the Government and the people.
So what is the problem here? The problem is that since last
few months it has been leaked in media that the draft which is being made is
going to be insufficient. Like other countries this is not going to be any strong
data protection law. After watching these leaks, a group of common people,
experts and organizations got together, who felt the need to doing something
themselves. We have to find a solution for positive policy, we will have to
prepare a draft for a strong data protection law. In this group there are 13
different groups’ involved included, legal experts, policy analyst and lawyers.
Together they all prepared a draft for data privacy which they have named as
Indian Privacy Code 2018. This draft is a modern bill, so if government wants
to make this law then they will have to bring this in the parliament and pass
this to help us a strong data protection law. The unique thing about this is
that these people have brought the entire draft in front of the common people. Their website is saveourprivacy.in. You
can read their 20-25 pages draft line by line in this website and even give the
suggestions. You can click on the privacy code button to read their website to
read their entire draft you can highlight any part, line and annotate it to
write your comments too if you feel it's good or it's not. As you can see here
how some people have commented here showing they agree with what and what not.
I feel it's a very good initiate, it's a first time when
such openly a law has been kept for public to analyze. If you don't want to
read but just want to support this law then you can click on the pledge button
to show your support to this law. The more the number of people who will show
interest to this more the pressure will be built on the government to convert
this draft bill into a law.
I will give you a brief summary to help you understand why this
is so important for you and why it's important to defend this fundamental right
to privacy. As a summary they have given seven principles of privacy. Principle
1 says Individual rights are at the center of privacy that means that an
individual needs privacy the most. A government or a company doesn't need
privacy, in fact the more they are transparent the more it is beneficial for
the country. Second principle says that data protection law must move ahead
with the technology. There should be exceptions in it but they should be
clearly defined and limited, it should not happen that the law get pressurized
under the exceptions. Third principle says that a new strong and independent
body should be made named privacy commission. This commission will look after
the privacy related matter and will see how well is this law being implemented.
It will have investigative powers and will also see that the law is not getting
outdated and is getting changed with time. Fourth principle is very obvious
that the Government should respect user privacy that a government should
respect an individual's right. This new commission will have its authority
valid on the Government. Fifth principle says that the surveillance should also
be considered in the privacy. Phone tapping by the government or illegal raid
in your house also comes under your privacy. Some people do not take these
things seriously and think that the phone tapping is for our own good and the
Government should have the permission to do so. I have nothing to hide and this
is the way to catch terrorists by the permission of tapping phones. But friends
here you are forgetting one very important thing that this can even happen with
you. Imagine if CBI comes to your house to carry out a raid saying that distant
relative of yours is a suspected terrorist hence your house is getting raid and
your phones are getting tapped, imaging everything you are talking on phone day
and night with your family, wife, anybody all the conversation is being heard
by someone there. Just because your distant relative is a suspected terrorist. This
can happen if there is no strong privacy law and hence it is very important
friends. Sixth principle is that the right to information law should also be
empowered here and it should be strengthened and protected. That means if
there's any good law is been made in the world, it should be adapted and get
inspired to implement them here. Like recently a very strong data protection
law was introduced in Europe called as GDPR Indian Privacy code has taken a lot
of inspiration from GDPR, few things are used as it is and few are adapted as
per the Indian standards. Like in GDPR, if you open any website Europe then the
website will have to ask you whether they can track you or not? You can either
accept it or decline. So, this was a term in GDPR, now Indian Privacy Code has
adapted it with a step ahead of just accept and decline as Indians are not so
educated. We will also be told orally that what all will be actually tracked
and whether we want to accept that or decline it. So these 7 principles friends
are basically a summary of what is there in in the Indian Privacy code friends.
And why this necessary and it’s so important there are many reasons to it.
In the beginning of the article I have given two examples of
Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh So, in Uttar Pradesh the government misuses its
power to carry out surveillance and in Andhra Pradesh data gets leaked by
mistake and your data gets available publicly. now let's move a step ahead and
see if your data is available publicly how can it be misused in a dangerous way
I would like to give you the example of Cambridge Analytica how voting
manipulation can be done using your data. Cambridge Analytica used to use
Facebook likes to spread propaganda for political parties. How can it be done? All
of you likes some or other type of Facebook page, each one of you has a
different like, maybe you like comedy more or Bollywood Your weak point can be
told according to your specific Facebook likes which can be used to influence
you. For example if you like comedy pages then you will show comedy propaganda
like How Rahul Gandhi is, or his mistakes, how is Kejrival I'm just using this
as an example other political parties can also do this using BJP ministers. So
if there's comedy pages then comedy stuffs are shown, if you like Bollywood
then your favorite Bollywood actors will be paid to do some propaganda for such
political parties and will be shown to you. It will be targeted not everyone
will be shown. Only specific people will be shown as per their preferences
whether comedy, Bollywood etc.
Now our Government can step ahead of Cambridge Analytica by
using our Aadhar details. How can this be done because on Facebook it's based
on like’s data but in Aadhar there's data related to caste, religion,
education, this can be used for voting manipulation.
Keeping in mind all these cases we also need to keep the
other angel in mind too and think from the Government's side as well. Government
is correct here if there's really a suspected criminal or a terrorist then the
Government should have the permission to tap their phone or raid their house up
to a certain limit. This thing is called as Legitimate State Purpose in the
language of law. And it is also mentioned in the Indian Privacy Code 2018. It
is mentioned that if the government invades a privacy then it should have a
legitimate state purpose and that Legitimate State Purpose should be
proportional to the extent of privacy been getting invaded. So if there's a
small crime like someone has slapped somebody then 10000 people's phone is
getting tapped like in the potato case so proportional representation should be
there here.
So friends comment below and let me know if this information,
share this article and spread the awareness among more and more people. About
the privacy and why it is so important.
Let's meet in the next article. Thank you.
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