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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India releases consultation paper on ‘Privacy, Security & Ownership of Data in the Telecom Sector’

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India releases consultation paper on ‘Privacy

Last week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India constituted a 10-member committee of experts, with members from government, academia and industry to study and identify key data protection issues, recommend methods for addressing them and suggest a draft Data Protection Bill.

Yesterday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper on "Privacy, Security and Ownership of the Data in the Telecom Sector".

In the press release announcing the consultation, TRAI expresses the view that the users should be empowered in respect of ownership and control of his/her personal data and to ensure this, all the players in the ecosystem are bound to follow certain safeguards while collecting, storing and using the data pertaining to their subscribers.

In light of this, TRAI suo-motu decided to issue a consultation paper with the aim of identifying the key issues pertaining to data protection in relation to the delivery of digital services. This includes the provision of telecom and Internet services by telecom and Internet service providers (TSPs), as well the other devices, networks and applications that connect with users through the services offered by TSPs and collect and control user data in that process.

TRAI presents a three-pronged rationale for government intervention in this: Information Asymmetry between the consumer and the data user, on account of the under-estimation by consumers about the value of their personal data and ignorance about the scale and use of the data being collected and its use and the ability of data collectors to unilaterally change their privacy policies; Bounded Rationality, which often leads consumers to underestimate the long term consequences of their actions, while consenting to share their personal information in the course of availing specific products or services; and Data Monopoly of the service providers, who generate and hold the data,the advantage of which they can use to get into adjacencies (and thus extend their monopoly). The government or its authorised agency may take steps to make this data portable, under the control of the user, thus enabling the creation of newer services.

The consultation paper takes as its starting point, a report submitted in October 2012, by a Group of Experts headed by (Retd.) Justice A. P. Shah, Former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court on the subject of data privacy. The report presented a number of recommendations for the role of Data Controller, which refers to any organisation that determines the purposes and means of processing the personal information of users.

Twelve questions are posed in the paper:

         
         
         Are the data protection requirements currently applicable to all the players in the eco-system in India sufficient to protect the interests of telecom subscribers? What are the additional measures, if any, that need to be considered in this regard?
         
         In light of recent advances in technology, what changes, if any, are recommended to the definition of personal data? Should the User’s consent be taken before sharing his/her personal data for commercial purposes? What are the measures that should be considered in order to empower users to own and take control of his/her personal data? In particular, what are the new capabilities that must be granted to consumers over the use of their Personal data?
         
         What should be the Rights and Responsibilities of the Data Controllers? Can the Rights of Data Controller supersede the Rights of an Individual over his/her Personal Data? Suggest a mechanism for regulating and governing the Data Controllers.
         
         Given the fears related to abuse of this data, is it advisable to create a technology enabled architecture to audit the use of personal data, and associated consent? Will an audit-based mechanism provide sufficient visibility for the government or its authorised authority to prevent harm? Can the industry create a sufficiently capable workforce of auditors who can take on these responsibilities?
         
         What, if any, are the measures that must be taken to encourage the creation of new data based businesses consistent with the overall framework of data protection?
         
         Should government or its authorized authority setup a data sandbox, which allows the regulated companies to create anonymised data sets which can be used for the development of newer services?
         
         How can the government or its authorized authority setup a technology solution that can assist it in monitoring the ecosystem for compliance? What are the attributes of such a solution that allow the regulations to keep pace with a changing technology ecosystem?
         
         What are the measures that should be considered in order to strengthen and preserve the safety and security of telecommunications infrastructure and the digital ecosystem as a whole?
         
         What are the key issues of data protection pertaining to the collection and use of data by various other stakeholders in the digital ecosystem, including content and application service providers, device manufacturers, operating systems, browsers, etc? What mechanisms need to be put in place in order to address these issues?
         
         Is there a need for bringing about greater parity in the data protection norms applicable to TSPs and other communication service providers offering comparable services (such as Internet based voice and messaging services). What are the various options that may be considered in this regard?
         
         What should be the legitimate exceptions to the data protection requirements imposed on TSPs and other providers in the digital ecosystem and how should these be designed? In particular, what are the checks and balances that need to be considered in the context of lawful surveillance and law enforcement requirements?
         
         What are the measures that can be considered in order to address the potential issues arising from cross border flow of information and jurisdictional challenges in the digital ecosystem?
         
         

Written comments on the consultation paper are invited from the stakeholders by September 8, 2017. Counter comments, if any, may be submitted by 22 September, 2017. Both the comments and counter comments will be posted on TRAl's website.

The full text of the consultation can be accessed here.

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

PARTNER

CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

PARTNER

Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

PARTNER

HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

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