Google, PayTm Summoned By Parliament’s Data Protection Panel Today

New Delhi: Officials of Google and PayTm have been summoned by the Parliamentary Joint Committee which is trying into the Personal Data Protection Bill. Officials from each corporations will seem earlier than the committee headed by BJP parliamentarian Meenakshi Lekhi on Thursday. Following Congress issues over the 2019 invoice, the committee is trying into the matter and involving all stakeholders for an outline.

The agenda of the assembly says the officers might be required to provide oral proof earlier than the committee.

The PayTm officers will arrive earlier than the committee at 11 am on the Parliament House. The Google officers are to fulfill the committee at three pm.

Last week, it was the flip of social media giants Facebook and Twitter. While, Twitter officers appeared on Wednesday earlier than the Committee at 11 am, the Facebook officers had appeared earlier than the Committee final Friday.

Facebook government Ankhi Das — whose identify cropped up in a latest controversy over Facebook’s alleged bias in coping with hate speeches — appeared earlier than the panel and was questioned for 2 hours, sources mentioned.

Ms Das resigned from the corporate yesterday. Facebook, which had denied any bias within the hate speech situation, mentioned she wished to “pursue her interest in public service”.

Online retail big Amazon, which was additionally summoned by the committee final week, refused to seem earlier than it. The officers appeared earlier than the Committee on Wednesday at three pm. They gave their oral proof for nearly three and a half hours earlier than the Committee. The agency, which sources mentioned may face “coercive action” and a “breach of privilege” discover, later mentioned its place “may have been misconstrued”.

Its consultants, Amazon mentioned, have been abroad and have been unable to depose earlier than the committee as a consequence of journey restrictions imposed to regulate the coronavirus pandemic.

“We will work with the JPC to set the record straight,” the corporate mentioned.

While introducing the draft invoice in parliament final yr, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad mentioned it empowers the federal government to ask corporations like Facebook, Google and others for nameless private and non-personal information.

But there have been issues concerning the authorities accessing private information of customers. The opposition Congress had issues relating to using such information in some circumstances, particularly the place nationwide safety is concerned. (NDTV)