It makes sense to empower the citizens into knowing how material they give is utilized
Aadhaar architect Nandan Nilekani's suggestion that there needs to be a legislation to end “data colonisation”, deserves to be considered. We lives in times when various technology firms and Governments have been collecting personal data from consumers and using them in ways that are not transparent and, more importantly, keeping the consumers concerned in the dark. Data privacy is an important concern, and the Supreme Court too is seized of the matter in a petition relating to the constitutional validity of Aadhaar. Nilekani does not per se object to the collection of data by private and Government organisations, because such an exercise is essential as the country moves more and more towards digitisation as a form of effective governance. His problem is that the consumer does not have control over the material he gives in good faith. Citizens, thus, must have the right to demand access to data — and get it in double quick time. Digital footprint in India has been growing at rapid pace, with the advancement of smartphones, the Internet, digital modes of payment including the recently launched platform, Bhim, and various Government initiatives such as Aadhaar and Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN). The Digital India programme has the potential to change the way organisations work. But all of these come with an inbuilt danger of misuse of the massive amounts of personal data that is being collected from the citizens. The simple idea behind being ‘owners' of the data is that the consumer should be able to access data he provides to various organisations and use them to empower himself in ways that he deems fit. At present, once the data is provided to the private or Government firms, the citizen has no control over his own material. Interestingly, the misuse of data is a global phenomenon, with various consumer rights organisations across the world raising the red flag on the issue. Owners of the data — which presently are Governments and private technology firms — use the material without having to seek the citizens' approval for the purposes they are utilised.
If there has to be a law — we don't know the Government's position on the issue; neither have the merits of the idea been discussed threadbare — then, as a solution, it must not turn out to be worse than the problem. legislations at times have a nasty way of creating more issues while in the process of fixing one problem. The information technology sector has flourished in India largely because it has been given a relatively free hand. Indeed, the boom came at a time when the Government had no clue on how to administer the new baby. Any proposed legislation must, therefore, ensure that innovation is not stifled in the name of regulation and that bureaucratic hurdles are not placed in the way of technological development. India's next big leap has to be in digital applications, and there is no place for provisions that will impede this march.