NEW DELHI: The government has extended the deadline for public comments on white paper pertaining to data protection framework by a month to January 31, 2018. It has noted that both public and private sectors are collecting and using personal data on an unprecedented scale and for various purposes.It said that while the data can be put to beneficial use, the unregulated and arbitrary use, especially that of personal data, has raised concerns about privacy and autonomy of an individual. "Some of the concerns relate to centralisation of databases, profiling of individuals, increased surveillance and a consequent erosion of individual autonomy," the paper noted.It stated that data about an individual like race and religion can be used to discriminate against them. "There are also some actions of the state which may threaten an individual's privacy. For instance, surveillance activities by the government or private organisations can disrupt peace of mind and create chilling effects by making people conform to societal expectations," the paper said.The white paper suggests linking of penalty of firm violating data protection rules to its global turnover.

Source: Times of India December 18, 2017 14:48 UTC