Apps should collect minimal data like Aadhaar does: TRAI Chairman
TRAI Chairman RS Sharma has said that some apps collect more-than-required data and customers are unaware of what is being done with it. "Apps should only collect minimal data like UIDAI does, which collects just four sets of data - your name, date of birth, (gender) and your communication address. Nothing more, nothing less," Sharma said in an interview in Bengaluru yesterday. Here's more.
TRAI says existing rules for data protection are not sufficient
"Data minimization should be one of the principles just as Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) adopts to collect people's data," Sharma said. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) noted that the existing framework of data protection of telecom consumers is not sufficient and that all entities in the digital ecosystem, which handle personal data, should be brought under a data protection framework.
Entities not following any law causing imbalance: Sharma
TRAI Chairman Sharma, in the interview with ET Now, said there is a regulatory imbalance because these entities are not following any law and till the government comes up with a broad framework, it is but prudent to apply telecom rules on them.
Sharma explains how different encryption is required for different sectors
Sharma said TRAI is not applying same encryption standards for different sectors. "There are different rules for different sectors. For example in telecoms, the maximum encryption is proposed to be 40 bits. UIDAI has the highest level of encryption where it is 2048 bits," he said. Sharma said that the encryption standard should be proportional to the security that needs to be achieved.
TRAI's suggestions expected to reach Apple, Facebook
These recommendations are expected to have wide-reaching implications for tech titans like Apple and Facebook. Asked whether TRAI has the power to implement such rules before the government legislates them, Sharma said he has the jurisdiction to protect consumers' interest in the telecom sector.
