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Andrew Bonwick
Vice President of Product Development at Relm Insurance
Madhav Sheth
CEO of Ai+ Smartphone
Stephen Rose
CEO Render Networks
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is ideating on drafting suggestions about local telecom gear manufacturing. Along with that, the regulator is also on the task of bringing devices, and browsers under the regulation of data security, privacy and protection. In a series of a questionnaire with ETTelecom, Trai chairman RS Sharma revealed his views on the ongoing issues in the Trai relating to local telecom gear manufacturing apps being regulated by Trai.
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In his take regarding apps and devices being regulated by Trai, RS Sharma said that these devices operate and exercise their power over telecom users’ data. The task of gatekeeping over the data is done by the device manufacturer, browsers or the applications. Right now the jurisdiction of Trai remains limited only to telecom companies which harbour user data as per Trai’s norms. However, Sharma said that given the condition of similarity between tech giants and telecom companies considering the intersection of data, there should be laws to regulate these companies. Sharma said that the increasing number of smartphone users and the Cloud-based data storage techniques had urged the Trai to tread down this path.
On being posed with questions about Apple, the Trai chief said that Trai’s proposed rules are similar to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) which is happening in Europe currently. He said that India should follow a similar model. Further, Sharma remarked that while drafting the recommendations for apps the regulator is leaving broad areas like rights and responsibility of data controllers; technology-enabled audit of personal data use; measures to encourage creation of data-based businesses; data sand box; legitimate exceptions to privacy regulation; and cross-border data flow in the hands of ten-member BN Srikrishna Committee.
Sharma said about the issue “These are much larger subject areas and through Srikrishna panel, a law is going to take place and felt that we should not give recommendations further unless a reference is made or a special need arises.” He also added that the regulator has only sent the suggestions to the government as of now, and the process of sending it to Srikrishna Committee is in the pipeline.
