Data brokers selling personal info to companies: MPs in RS

Members in Rajya Sabha today raised concerns about "data brokers" who they claimed were selling personal information to companies for an amount.
During the Zero Hour, SP member Sanjay Seth said that companies were calling up people offering loans or other schemes after purchasing such data from these operators.
Maintaining that there were serious aspects to this problem, he said keeping in view the possibilities of data being hacked, the government should take appropriate steps in this regard.
Another SP member Naresh Agrawal said he had also got such phone calls and the callers never disclosed where they had got the numbers from.

He also raised concerns relating to hacking and said in some countries instances of fraud have also occurred.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said it was a serious concern and suggested that it be conveyed to the Finance Minister.
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi agreed that the Finance Minister would be apprised of the concerns while adding that the MPs could provide if they had any specific detail.