24 Jul Indian Regulator Probes Mobile Apps Seeking Blanket Access to User Data
New Delhi, India — In a report last Sunday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India plans to scrutinize mobile apps that specifically request for blanket access to customer data.
TRAI chairman RS Sharma stated that the minimal data principle should be implemented, and that mobile programs should only request information that’s important to its purpose.
Sharma stated that if an app doesn’t need to know your gender to function, then it should not ask for that kind of information. This is a concern because there are apps that fail to download if one question is not answered.
He also said it does not make sense for apps to ask for 20 personal questions that are irrelevant, because there must a legal basis for asking private data.
To date, many rogue apps continue to gather all sorts of data from customers, making it a necessity for Indian authorities to create data privacy restrictions on the apps.
Source: FirstPost
