Mozilla says India's planned data harvest law is 'blunt' and should be caste aside Mozilla has strongly criticised India’s draft plan to allow companies to harvest non-personal data. India's plan [PDF], proposed in July 2020 by a committee chaired by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, recommended companies be allowed to use non-personal data generated in India for commercial purposes. The committee also …
What constitutes "personal data" in law depends entirely on the jurisdiction. In the US for example, such legislation as exists typically specifies a list of data categories that constitute "PII" and any information not on the list is not covered by the legislation.
The GDPR on the other hand makes any category of data "personal" as soon as it can be used to identify an individual, and that doesn't necessarily mean "attach a name". So just as a hypothetical example, suppose I live on a UK street with a common post code for say 20 houses. That's not personal data as far as the GDPR is concerned. Neither is the stand alone fact that I restore steam engines. But if I'm the only person in the street that does this and both pieces of information are combined, the combined information becomes personal data, even if my name is not known, because I'm identifiable as the only guy at that post code that restores steam engines.
I get the impression that the Indian approach is also "PII", which offers much less protection to the data subject.
Infosys co-founder is a businessman and he is only capable of doing what is best for business. He should not have led the effort in the first place.
Using the US model for privacy, really lack of privacy is the worst thing anyone can do. Companies in theUS sell PII daily for less than $5. Google someone using their telephone number and it with little creativity, one can find their entire history.
India doesn't want to end up with the same lack of privacy, the US has.
Mozilla is 100% accurate. Hope India listens.
Ahem. Theresa May and her "Snoopers' Charter"
With the services of a lot of public authorities being run by private entities, your statement applies to the TinPot Statethe model democracy that is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
@Fruit and Nutcase
Love your handle, I remember the adverts. But it gives your age away…
However I take issue with your suggestion that the U.K. is not a democracy. I seem to remember doing this thing called "voting" for more years than I am going to mention.
Cheers… Ishy
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