<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/54847957.cms" /> Government is planning to come up with new rules that will require companies like <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword>, <keyword id="790242" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword>, <keyword id="6358096" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Snapchat">Snapchat</keyword>, and <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> to store client data. This is a development that will face a considerable measure of opposition. 
 
A committee has been set up by the government for drafting rules for Section 67C of the Information Technology Act. 
 
What the government is looking to do now is draft rules for Section 67C of the Information Technology Act. The rules, whose drafting has been holding up since 2008, will explain what sort of information has to be stored, in what format, and for what time period, as per three individuals from the recently framed council. 
 
Sharing of data between outside firms and the Indian government has been a combative issue, and specialists said the order might be difficult to execute for firms, for example, WhatsApp that promise end-to-end encryption. Or for Snapchat - a chat app where messages disappear within seconds and are not even stored on the company's servers. 
 
Firms may also oppose the diktat, especially since most of them are not governed by Indian laws and also due to the high cost of data retention. 
 The committee is lead by additional secretary in the ministry of electronics and IT (<keyword id="3602182" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="MeitY">MEITY</keyword>), <keyword id="108416" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ajay-Kumar">Ajay Kumar</keyword>, and has one representative each from the ministry of home affairs, department of telecom, department of personnel and training, <keyword id="6372077" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nasscom">Nasscom</keyword>, Internet Service Provider Association of India (ISPAI), along with an advocate specialising in cyber law and a few officers from MEITY. 
 
"This is a fairly complex issue, compounded by the general lack of understanding of mobile apps and over the top service providers," a person on the committee who did not wish to be identified told ET. 
 
He also said that most technology firms are US based and they have always been at loggerheads about sharing of information with the government. 
 "Even if it is for national security reasons, how much are these companies answerable to the Indian security establishment? And we do know how <keyword id="6354427" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apple">Apple</keyword> refused to unlock the phone even for <keyword id="6355946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="FBI">FBI</keyword>," he added. 
 However, <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> and cyber law expert <keyword id="194357" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pavan-Duggal">Pavan Duggal</keyword> assured that the section is drafted in very broad terms and the move may be driven by the realisation that these companies are huge data repositories - some of which might be relevant to law enforcement investigations. 
 "It will have to be a huge balancing act and will be interesting to see what this committee decides," <keyword id="11461" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Duggal">Duggal</keyword> told ET. 
 
Section 67C refers to the obligation of the service providers to hold data, the nature of the data to be retained and the time period is not specified. Companies which do not comply with the law can be levied fine and its officers imprisoned. 
(image: Indiatimes)

Government may ask WhatsApp, Snapchat to store your private information

<keyword id="36918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chinese" source="Orion">Chinese</keyword> <keyword id="6358052" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="criminal" source="Orion">criminal</keyword> syndicates and gangs operating digital loan shark scams are expected to further dent the Indian economy in 2024, warns cybersecurity law expert Pavan Duggal. The surge in <keyword id="6359387" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="illegal" source="Orion">illegal</keyword> activities, through Chinese <keyword id="6095737" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="loan-apps" source="Orion">loan apps</keyword>, has raised concerns about the exploitation of unemployed youth and financially-stressed individuals in India. Investigations reveal that the masterminds behind these operations are predominantly based in China, leveraging local recruits in neighbouring countries to conduct their transnational criminal activities. The illicit operations include data collection and financial disruptions targeting the Indian economy. Pavan Duggal, Chairman of the International Commission on <keyword id="137092" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyber-security" source="Orion">Cyber Security</keyword> Law, said that Chinese loan apps are significantly impacting the Indian economy as part of a broader approach. "China aims to target the Indian economy due to their past relationship with the nation. As a result, China is actively working to destabilise the Indian economy and gather as much data as possible through these loan apps." Duggal also pointed out that these apps offer instant loans with high-interest rates, leading people into financial distress. While many Chinese apps fall under the IT Act of 2000, they do not comply with Indian law, causing significant financial losses in crores to Indian citizens "The need for dedicated cybercrime courts, as existing courts are overwhelmed with criminal prosecutions," he said. He also stressed the necessity for new legal frameworks to address the misuse of emerging technologies for criminal purposes. According to Duggal, the pandemic has marked the beginning of a golden age of cybercrime, which is expected to continue for many decades. He believes that cybercrime has become our constant companion, and cybersecurity breaches are the new norm. "Unfortunately, India is not fully prepared to handle this surge in cybercrime, especially with cybercriminals leveraging emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and tools like ChatGPT for their malicious activities," he said. Regarding cybercrime laws, Duggal pointed out three crucial issues. Firstly, there is currently no dedicated law specifically addressing cybercrime. Secondly, certain cybercrimes are covered under the Information Technology Act 2000 and the Indian Penal Code, but not comprehensively. And thirdly, the existing laws are inadequate in effectively responding to cybercrimes, posing significant challenges in combating them. "The Government needs to bring stringent laws to deal with the people in our country who cahoot with Chinese loan app fraudsters," Duggal added. Last year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had frozen Rs 106 crore, lying in merchant IDs, and bank accounts. in the Chinese loan app case. It had initiated an investigation on the basis of the FIRs registered by Cyber Crime Police Station, Bengaluru under various sections of Karnataka Money Lenders Act, Information Technology Act, the Karnataka Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act, and various sections of Indian Penal Code against numerous entities in connection with their involvement in extortion and harassment of the public who had availed small amounts of loans through the mobile apps being run by those Chinese national controlled entities. The investigation by ED revealed the modus operandi of these entities wherein these entities were incorporated by appointing dummy directors on behalf of Chinese nationals, obtained KYC documents of company staff and appointed them as Directors of such entities and even opened bank accounts in their name, without their knowledge or prior consent. "These entities were involved in criminal activities by submitting fake addresses in KYC documents and taking assistance from various professionals and other persons. They provided instant short-term loans to the public through loan apps and other means and charged high processing fees and exorbitant rates of interest and amounts were subsequently recovered from the public by these companies by way of threatening and causing mental torture to the borrowers of the loans over the phone as well as contacting their family members, relatives, and friends asking for the money," the ED had said. The official said that these Chinese national-controlled entities have indulged in huge money laundering activities through the merchant IDs maintained with various payment gateways, Razorpay, Cashfree, Paytm, PayU, Easebuzz and bank accounts maintained with various banks and thereby generating proceeds of crime.

Chinese syndicates to keep hurting India via loan app scams: Cyber expert

With <keyword id="6354616" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="twitter" source="Orion">Twitter</keyword> once again taking the Indian government to court, the debate has reignited over insufficient IT laws -- demanding the clearance of new IT Rules, 2021 as soon as possible -- to tame <keyword id="1781932" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="big-tech" source="Orion">Big Tech</keyword> and penalise them if found not complying with the law of the land, amid a completely changed digital landscape from two decades ago. When the IT Act, 2000 was passed, there was no social media presence. Today, platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are dictating the public discourse and being used for disseminating fake news and trolls from across the spectrum. The <keyword id="6363148" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="information-technology" source="Orion">Information Technology</keyword> Act, 2000, which got amended only in 2008, is neither a data privacy law nor a data protection law. In such a scenario, is its Section 69A sufficient to book social media biggies and even penalise them for not complying with the government content blocking orders, especially when it comes to national security? According to New Delhi-based cyberlaw expert Virag Gupta, two decades back, intermediaries were acting as the messenger carrying a message from point A to point B, without interfering in it in any manner. "Nowadays, social media platforms are aggressively active and no longer playing the role of a conventional intermediary," Gupta told IANS. Twitter is an intermediary as per the Indian law which has to compulsorily comply with directions issued by the authorities under section 69A of the IT Act. According to experts, failure to comply with any such directions would take away the indemnity provided under section 79 of the IT Act. "Section 69A of the IT Act gives immense and extraordinary power to the government for blocking the content, which can be challenged before the High Court or Supreme Court," said Gupta. However, its purpose is to maintain public order, prevent cognisable offences and protect sovereignty, integrity, defence, security and <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s friendly relation with foreign states. Freedom of speech is guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. However there are many restrictions under Article 19(2), which are part of the Section 69A of the IT Act. "So in such matters of national security, judicial review of the government orders may not be normally allowed," Gupta told IANS. Twitter was also involved in a legal battle in the Delhi High Court last year with the Centre over not complying with the Information Technology (<keyword id="7206149" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="intermediary-guidelines" source="Orion">Intermediary Guidelines</keyword> and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, that aim to redefine India's digital landscape. After Twitter went to the Karnataka High Court this time, the government reiterated that all Internet intermediaries and social media platforms have to comply with the law of the land. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that "be it any company, in any sector, they should abide by the laws of India". Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that all foreign intermediaries and platforms have a right to approach the court and judicial review in India. "But equally, all intermediary/platforms operating here have an unambiguous obligation to comply with our laws and rules," Chandrasekhar emphasised. The IT Minister has given the hint for a new IT Act to fight multiple cyber challenges faced by the authorities and users. The republished draft by the IT Ministry has revealed a plan to form an appeals panel that can reverse content moderation decisions by Big Tech companies like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The new IT rules also require big social media platforms to help the government trace the originator of messages in special cases. "The intermediary shall respect the rights accorded to citizens under the constitution," according to the new draft. By virtue of Rule 7 of the IT Rules, 2021, the moment any intermediary including any significant social media intermediary does not comply with the Information Technology Rules, they automatically lose their statutory exemption from legal liability. Further, they become liable for being punished for various offences under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860. "There is actually no rationale for any service providers not to comply with the applicable law in India. The Internet service providers and social media platforms ought to comply with the rules immediately so as to prevent any potential future legal consequences," said Pavan Duggal, a seasoned Supreme Court advocate and a cyber law expert. The government is clearly entitled to take action for criminal prosecution against the service provider as per Rule 7 of the IT Rules, 2021. Further, all affected persons who have been affected by the inactions of the service provider, can sue the service provider, both for legal action and also for criminal liability, Duggal added. "The ultimate idea is to give a deterrent message to all service providers that they will have to ensure compliance with the applicable laws, otherwise they will continue to keep on facing legal consequences under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules and regulations," Duggal told IANS. "The thumb rule is very clear: if you have to operate in India, then you have to ensure compliance with the applicable Indian law, otherwise you will be prepared to face the legal consequences emerging there from," he added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/facebook-insta-and-google-took-down-over-21-million-posts-in-may-while-whatsapp-and-twitter-banned-over-19-lakh-bad-accounts/articleshow/92698950.cms">Facebook, Insta and Google took down over 21 million posts in May while WhatsApp and Twitter banned over 19 lakh ‘bad’ accounts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/big-tech-should-obey-the-law-of-the-land-says-india-after-twitter-goes-to-court/articleshow/92689452.cms">Big Tech should obey the law of the land says India, after Twitter goes to court</a>

Opinion: There is a need to pass the IT Rules, 2021 to tame social media platforms like Twitter

Millions of innocent Indian users have risked their hard-earned money in highly-volatile cryptocurrencies which are not a legal tender and the country stands on the cusp of an economic disaster in the making as self-styled <keyword id="12537889" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="crypto-cartels" source="Orion">crypto cartels</keyword> bombard citizens with misleading ads while relevant government authorities quietly watch the whole saga from the sidelines. The deafening silence on the part of statutory authorities to the increasing number of crypto platforms luring the public into investing from as low as Rs 100 is "incomprehensible" in absence of a dedicated law on crypto assets and crypto currencies, lament leading legal experts. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="87642591" title="Crypto players in India to meet with government today to give inputs on the potential of cryptocurrencies in the country and its impact" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> A recent advertisement by the Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council (BACC), a part of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), and industry players like <keyword id="10245463" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="coinswitch-kuber" source="Orion">CoinSwitch Kuber</keyword>, <keyword id="6416838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="coindcx" source="Orion">CoinDCX</keyword>, <keyword id="6672551" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wazirx" source="Orion">WazirX</keyword> and <keyword id="2761019" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zebpay" source="Orion">Zebpay</keyword>, claimed that crores of Indians have invested over Rs 6 lakh crore in crypto assets. India has recently seen a spurt in the popularity of <keyword id="6422582" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="crypto-exchanges" source="Orion">crypto exchanges</keyword> and platforms in recent months like CoinSwitch Kuber (CSK), WazirX, CoinDCX, ZebPay, Unocoin and BuyUcoin, etc. According to Dr Pavan Duggal, a seasoned Supreme Court advocate and a cyber law expert, if Indians have invested over Rs 6 lakh crore in the crypto ecosystem and there is absence of legal clarity, it is very much possible that a large number of people could lose huge chunks of money. "It is also possible that some people may make a lot of money. The chances of an innocent user being made a victim of this impending economic disaster cannot be ruled out. The quicker India as a nation wakes up from its deep slumber and starts addressing the crypto ecosystem, the better it will be," Duggal told IANS. In some respite for the common investor, the Indian government is finally aiming to prohibit crypto ads that are growing across media platforms and were seen in plenty during the IPL 2020 and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup cricket matches. In a memo outlining the summering of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the crypto industry players over the weekend, the government has shown its displeasure over such mushrooming advertisements that promise wild profits. However, the bigger crypto threat looms as the country has still not made up its mind on the legalities pertaining to crypto assets. New Delhi-based cyber law expert Virag Gupta said that taking the benefit of zero regulatory framework around crypto, the "self-styled godmen" of this industry have made their own regulatory mechanism and code of conduct which have put the Indian law-making machinery in bad light for the world. "The crypto market which was illegal some years back has now risked over Rs 6 lakh crore worth of money from Indians investors. The biggest question now is: How is the government planning to levy and recover tax on money being made by crypto trading exchanges and apps? If it is treated as capital gain then the players get undue benefit and if it is treated as business income, then the whole illegal system turns legal," Gupta elaborated. There are several serious aspects to the whole crypto scenario in India that need to be addressed fast. "First, when crypto is spreading like wildfire then why is its regulation delayed. Second, without Parliament-specific approval and amendment in the RBI Act, private currency like crypto cannot be treated as a valid legal tender," argued Gupta. In the proposed law, if cryptocurrencies are not accepted as legal tender, then how will it be treated as an asset class and who will be its regulator. "Crypto craze is reaching tier II and III towns and non-regulation of this market of Rs 6 lakh crore size is raising questions on the sovereign authority of government of India. Non-levy of GST in various layers of its transaction and non-imposition of income tax with penalty is causing huge loss to the state and central government revenue," Gupta further stressed. Crypto platforms, especially WazirX, CoinSwitch Kuber and CoinDCX, have launched ads across platforms, promising big returns on crypto investments, with a thin line titled "Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency, not a legal tender and subject to market risks," placed at the end of the ads. A large number of Indians have become victims of such luring advertisement campaigns in the past, which asked them to invest in digital coins. Currently, the RBI is the nodal agency that is responsible for all issues pertaining to crypto assets in India, thanks to a recent Supreme Court judgment. "However, we have still not seen effective steps being taken from the statutory authorities to protect consumers from vagaries of crypto-assets and crypto currencies and their sharp volatility," Duggal said. According to a recent report by IT industry's apex body Nasscom, there are more than 15 million retail investors in India investing in the cryptotech space. A cryptocurrency bill is expected in Parliament's winter session and according to experts, strong mechanisms need to be put up to prevent the innocent citizens from becoming victims of an impending economic disaster, who do not fully understand the legal and policy ramifications of the same. "Facing a catch-22 situation, India needs stronger laws, not only for the Blockchain-based trading but also for IT and data security, in order to tame the crypto cartels," Gupta stressed. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/top-15-best-altcoins-to-buy-in-2021/slidelist/87717381.cms">Looking beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum — Here’s a list of top 15 altcoins you should keep an eye on</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/top-6-stablecoins-in-the-crypto-market-what-are-they-how-to-they-work-and-why-they-have-governments-worried/articleshow/87667452.cms">Top 6 stablecoins in the crypto market — what are they, how they work and why they have governments worried</a>

Lack of crypto regulation in India is pulling the savings of millions at risk, according to Supreme Court advocate

New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) After India directed blocking of 59 Chinese apps, some of India's top legal experts have asked what the government plans to do about hundreds and thousands of Chinese mobile phones being used by Indians and the CCTV cameras installed in both the corporate sector and the government agencies, which could potentially be transmitting data of Indians outside the country. The IT Ministry on Monday issued an interim order to block 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The apps have been directed to be banned on the grounds that they have been trying to impact the "sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". "Banning or blocking apps is only a starting point, not the endgame journey. A lot of steps will have to be taken. There are a huge number of Chinese mobile phones which are being used by Indians and they continue to transmit data outside India, particularly to China," Pavan Duggal, one of the nation's top cyber law experts, told IANS. "Further a lot of Chinese CCTV cameras and other devices are installed both in corporate sectors and also in governmental agencies. Their use in terms of the collection of data and their transmission of data to China need to be reconsidered," he said, adding that India must come up with a strong cogent methodologies and process to protect Indian sovereign interest in cyberspace. According to Virag Gupta, a lawyer who is arguing the case in Supreme Court for data localisation in India, said the decision to block 59 apps will go a long way in shaping "our future plan of action against Internet giants"."Obviously, there will be challenges to implement this decision, but we can call it a digital surgical strike against global powers with colonial mindsets," he said. As India is a democratic country unlike China, a party aggrieved by the government's decision can challenge the action under the current legal framework. Once the law provides the remedy of an appeal to an affected party, the party will have to show that it is not misusing the data of Indian users, and similarly, the government will also be called upon to show what relevant material led to the conclusion that such kinds of apps impact the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, Duggal said. Besides TikTok, the banned apps include SHAREit, Helo, WeChat, UC Browser and Xiaomi's Mi Community, among others. Following the ban, TikTok said in a statement that it places "the highest importance on user privacy and integrity." Asserting that it has not shared any information of its users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government, the ByteDance-owned short video-sharing platform promised that even if it is requested to share information of Indian users by the Chinese government in the future, it would not do so. But under the Chinese cybersecurity law, the government has the power to ask for any information pertaining to the sovereign interest of the country or pertaining to public order from any company which is located in China, Duggal said. "The said companies are duty-bound to share that information. If they do not share that information with the Chinese authorities, it actually becomes an offence under the Chinese law," he said. "So whenever any Chinese company says that it is not sharing any data of Indians with Chinese agencies, I think it will be further called upon to show how it will be going ahead in complying with applicable national laws and how it will be further ensuring that the said information will not be shared in the future," Duggal said. According to Mishi Choudhary, a technology lawyer and an online civil liberties activist, India's move to ban 59 Chinese apps underscores that the cyber world and the Internet are part of the geopolitics and are not some distant matter left to the techies. "We must have a robust cyber peace or war policy that addresses our national security concerns and presents a well thought through, rights respecting policy in sharp contrast to an authoritarian regime like China," she said. As Nagpur-based lawyer Vinod Tiwari pointed out, if the interim order is confirmed, accessing these 59 apps will be an issue only within the territorial boundaries of India. Duggal also pointed out that the government of India has got the power under Section 87 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to come up with specific due diligence parameters for app developers and app service providers. "However, no such due diligence parameters have been given to app service providers so far," he said. (Gokul Bhagabati can be contacted at gokul.b@ians.in) --IANS gb/arm

After app ban, experts ask what about Chinese phones?

<ul><li>India wants to deploy <keyword id="731490" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="facial-recognition-software">facial recognition software</keyword> to catch criminals off the streets but none of the laws in the country address the use of such technology. </li><li>Human rights groups and researchers asked companies to refrain from selling <keyword id="30939" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="facial-recognition">facial recognition</keyword> technology to governments as it could lead to increased surveillance. </li><li>In the absence of laws to govern the use of facial recognition software, the technology could undermine a citizen’s right to privacy. </li></ul>India’s facial recognition has already been tested successfully. And, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) wants the system to go live with it to all law agencies, by next year. In April, the <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/facial-recognition-system-helps-trace-3000-missing-children-in-4-days/articleshow/63870277.cms">Delhi Police</a> used the software to identify nearly 3,000 missing children over the course of four days to try out the facial recognition software. But, there’s a catch. None of the laws in India address the use of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=facial+recognition&amp;sortorder=score&amp;curpg=1">facial recognition technology</a>. It’s not just about implementing the technology but also about how the data so collected can be potentially misused. The Home Ministry <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/policy/facial-recognition-by-national-crime-records-bureau-ncrb-will-be-used-to-spot-history-sheeters-and-missing-people-only/articleshow/70187881.cms">issued a statement</a> assuring citizens that facial recognition will only be used to track individuals on the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network Systems (CCTNS), which is the national database of Indian criminals. Misidentification Without a regulatory framework in place, facial recognition could possibly undermine the people’s right to privacy according to Pavan Duggal, an Indian cyber law expert. He points out that even with the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, there is no specific mention of facial recognition technology. The technology, though useful and mostly accurate, has been known to falter from time to time. There is no safety net in place that will help individuals to contest the results, if the software misidentifies a person. For instance, Amazon ‘Rekognition’ software <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facial-recognition-is-almost-perfectly-accurate-heres-why-that-could-be-a-problem/articleshow/68930012.cms">reportedly</a> had trouble identifying dark skinned women. There’s also an issue of transparency. Even though it’s enough to say that facial recognition will be employed to identify criminals, the actual algorithm that powers the software and its functionality are likely to stay behind layers of non-disclosure agreements. Global take Microsoft has been trying to <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2018/07/13/facial-recognition-technology-the-need-for-public-regulation-and-corporate-responsibility/">push</a> for facial recognition to implemented in the US to nab criminals. Microsoft’s President, Brad Smith, has <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2018/12/06/facial-recognition-its-time-for-action/">urged</a> the country’s law makers to put regulations in place before implementing the technology but certain states are pushing back, saying that it should be banned altogether. Amazon also<a href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/machine-learning/some-thoughts-on-facial-recognition-legislation/"> joined</a> Microsoft in calling for rules that deal specifically deal with facial recognition technology. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/Artificial-intelligence-experts-from-Facebook-Google-and-Microsoft-called-on-Amazon-not-to-sell-its-facial-recognition-software-to-police/articleshow/68721371.cms">Human rights groups</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/an-mit-researcher-who-analyzed-facial-recognition-software-found-eliminating-bias-in-ai-is-a-matter-of-priorities/articleshow/67664512.cms">researchers</a>, globally, are up in arms asking tech companies to refrain from selling their recognition software to governments because of how it could escalate surveillance. China, on the other hand, is an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/one-chinese-city-is-using-facial-recognition-that-can-help-police-detect-and-arrest-criminals-in-as-little-as-2-minutes/articleshow/63374619.cms">avid </a>user of facial recognition. There are over 170 million CCTV cameras along the roads in China equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and facial recognition capabilities. It is implemented in schools, to monitor student attitudes and stress levels; and even at fast food joints, where it’s used to try and predict a customer’s order. (with inputs from IANS) See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facial-recognition-by-national-crime-records-bureau-ncrb-will-be-used-to-spot-history-sheeters-and-missing-people-only/articleshow/70187881.cms">Facial recognition will be used to spot history sheeters and missing people only, assures Home Ministry</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facial-recognition-is-almost-perfectly-accurate-heres-why-that-could-be-a-problem/articleshow/68930012.cms">Facial recognition is almost perfectly accurate - here's why that could be a problem</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cities-should-regulate-facial-recognition-instead-of-banning-it-chinas-ai-champion-sensetime-says/articleshow/69367810.cms">Cities should regulate facial recognition instead of banning it, China’s AI champion SenseTime says</a>

India is all set to deploy facial recognition but there is no law in place to keep a check

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/56065698.cms" />Post Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s <keyword id="6362150" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="demonetization">demonetization</keyword> scheme, the country is trying its best to go <keyword id="322793" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cashless">cashless</keyword> and more and more residents are attempting to go cashless. <keyword id="90193" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Security-concerns">Security concerns</keyword> about such transactions are however, still troubling new users, who are opting for cashless means. 
 
While confusion persists regarding government's decision about not deducting any service tax on transactions up to Rs 2000, the trust deficit on the swipe machine holders is apparent among users. 
 
Many people who are aware of how the swiping machine works, try to avoid using it frequently since they are a wary of the swipe machines installed at shops. 
 
"I am a software engineer with an automobile company, so I know that there can be a chip installed in the machine, which can read all my card details and my bank ID can be hacked," Manvinder Singh Bhati, a software engineer in Noida's Sector 10, told TOI. 
 
"I have a debit card but I don't like to use it often. I find internet banking more safe," Savita, a resident of Noida's sector 45, told TOI. 
 People are facing troubles with <keyword id="6626738" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="online-transactions">online transactions</keyword>. It’s a debatable topic if it’s a rocket science or not in a country where a huge population is illiterate. 
 
"Online transactions are difficult to start with and there are many apprehensions. One of my friends had reported a problem saying that he tried to buy a sports item from a Delhi-based online retailer but the transaction failed despite the money being deducted. We made a complaint to the bank and the money was deposited back in three days," Aarti Belbase, an executive customer relations manager at an SBI bank branch in Madhya Pradesh, told TOI. 
 
Experts confirm that even as card transactions cannot be avoided in the current times, there are security concerns with the various cashless modes of transaction. 
 
"It is possible that the swipe machines can be tampered with. It can be connected to a small card reader, a device which can read the details of the credit/debit card and the same can be misused by mischievous elements," says Pavan Duggal, an expert in the field of cyber law. 
 
He warned residents about using ATMs in isolated places and those ATMs which use an outdated software. 
 
(Image Credits: Economic Times)

You Searched For "Pavan Duggal" and got 7 results

Government may ask WhatsApp, Snapchat to store your private information

BI India Bureau

Chinese syndicates to keep hurting India via loan app scams: Cyber expert

IANS

Opinion: There is a need to pass the IT Rules, 2021 to tame social media platforms like Twitter

IANS

Lack of crypto regulation in India is pulling the savings of millions at risk, according to Supreme Court advocate

IANS

After app ban, experts ask what about Chinese phones?

IANS

India is all set to deploy facial recognition but there is no law in place to keep a check

Prabhjote Gill

As India plans on going cashless, security concerns on transaction increases

BI India Bureau