Reliance Jio officials depose before parliamentary panel on data security

Executives of Jio Platforms and Reliance Jio Infocomm were asked if there is any data-sharing mechanism between the company and its investors Facebook and Google

Executives of Jio Platforms Ltd and Reliance Jio Infocomm deposed before a parliamentary panel on the issue of data safety on Wednesday and were asked if there is any data-sharing mechanism between the company and its investors Facebook and Google.

The Joint Committee of Parliament on the Personal Data Protection Bill, chaired by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, questioned Reliance Jio executives about privacy of data of its subscribers and users of Jio platforms.

"It was asked to Jio executives that does the company have any data-sharing mechanism with Google and Facebook and its users, to which the representatives of the telecom firm declined and informed that both tech players are its financial investors," Lekhi said after the meeting.

She said the company executives were in favour of data protection and its localisation in India.

Representatives of Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and Paytm have already deposed before the panel. While those of Ola, Uber and Airtel have also been called to appear before the panel.

The Personal Data Protection Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on December 11, 2019. The bill seeks to provide for protection of personal data of individuals and establishment of a data protection authority for the same.

The proposed law seeks bar on storing and processing of personal data by entities without the explicit consent of an individual.

The bill was later referred to a joint select committee of both Houses of Parliament. The proposed law seeks bar on storing and processing of personal data by entities without the explicit consent of an individual.