Monitor and regulate content on mobile apps – Telecom Committee
A committee formed by the Department of Telecom (DoT) suggested an interim provision enforceable through licensing conditions should be in place till the time an appropriate legal framework is enacted
A committee formed by the Department of Telecom (DoT) to look into the issue of net neutrality has recommended regulating and monitoring content on mobile apps that will also include data servers in the country, suggest media reports.
OTT operators like WhatsApp, Facebook, as well as other internet service providers like Google have long objected to close government scrutiny. In fact, an earlier suggestion, which is still being debated, to adopt a regulatory framework for OTT operators found widespread dissent from the OTT community.
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Media reports highlighted that scanning the net neutrality issue the telecom panel has highlighted cyber security and its impact for the country, which also deal with privacy concerns for licensing agreements for the over the top service providers.
The committee suggested an interim provision enforceable through licensing conditions should be in place till the time an appropriate legal framework is enacted.
The panel pointed out that there is a need to define a new architecture to keep pace with the technological developments that explicitly protects net neutrality but retains the ability of the state to ensure national security and protect data.
The committee also pointed out few more things such as unlawful access of data and protection and how these provisions act to safeguard privacy and ensure data protection. The report said that, “New business models provide free service to the user but the information derived out of the usage service can be monetized without the specific knowledge of the user or provide to external agencies without consent,” quoted media reports.
