India Digital Summit, IAMAI: BJP’s Jay Panda on data privacy

At a time when a select committee of Parliament is studying the Personal Data Protection Bill, BJP vice president Baijayant Panda has said that though privacy is a fundamental right but there can’t be absolute standards to define it, which many activists are demanding. Panda, who first introduced a bill on data privacy and protection in Parliament three years ago, said there can’t be absolute standards for privacy like not allowing use of biometrics in current times as we are no longer living in 14th century.

“We willingly give away our private data to apps,” Panda said while speaking at the 14th India Digital Summit, organised by IAMAI. The event, 14th India Digital Summit, organised by IAMAI will be avaialble live on Financial Express Online. He further stressed that facial recognition and other such technologies will become common in coming five years and there should be checks and balances for privacy rather than absolute standards. Panda said privacy is a fundamental right but there are also 5 exceptions to it like national security and governed services where government can seek data.