CAIT URGE GOVT TO TAKE PREVENTIVE STEPS
AMN / NEW DELHI
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has expressed deep shock over the reported news of Facebook giving access to several cell phone manufacturers and other device makers of its data on users & their friends including their personal information and for such an access Facebook has entered into agreements with such companies. So far it has reached data sharing partnership with about 60 device makers.
In a communication sent today to Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for IT &. Technology, the CAIT has urged him to take immediate cognisance of the news and take immediate steps to deal with this crucial issue of cyber security.
The news appeared in a prominent news Paper sending alarming bells to data security which may not only breach privacy of the users but may also pose threat to economy & security of the Country since data of Indian citizens using Facebook must have also been compromised since agreements seems to of global level.
CAIT National President Mr B C Bhartia & Secretary General Mr Praveen Khandelwal while raising serious objections on the matter said that from the point of view of businesses, sharing of such a data may result into consolidation of business into few hands as data analytical could easily give information about the nature, preferences, capacity & capability , trends, purchase or sale bahaviour of person or persons or trade groups etc. It may also lead to leakage of confidential information about particular business or businesses. Based on such analyses of data the Companies will attack trade or businesses in a most strategical and organised manner to control the markets.
Both Mr. Bhartia & Mr. Khandelwal said that usage of smartphones have become ubiquitous, and are forcing us to re-imagine the contours of privacy and data protection.We carry our phones everywhere we go, we use them for accessing critical services including banking and payments, we use them to store personal and sensitive data, to access our social networks and emails, and many “apps” are connected to servers and facilities that consumers and governments, often have no line of sight to.
Unsurprisingly, reports of phone hacks, theft of personally identifiable information and user-tracking, misguidance of consumers and evasion of law, by stakeholders within the digital ecosystem, has become an everyday phenomenon. The Indian smartphone user is particularly vulnerable.
CAIT has decided to sought authoritative information about such partnerships from Facebook itself and based on such information, it will pursue the matter with the Govt.
PRESS RELEASE