50p 2017

While privacy is often looked as a basic human right it also has relevance as a principle of consumer protection. The mixed modes and evolving models of electronic payments require higher trust in operations due to the monetary exchanges being intangible. At such instances privacy protections can add value and support long term use. Hence, privacy is not only a rights based argument for activists but also an essential customer expectation driving product experience.

This talk aims to make this broad point by specifically examining how businesses can benefit by safegaurding user privacy even in the absence of privacy regulations. Some caveats are also given on how such solutions are incomplete substitutes to a well designed, balanced regulation.

The talk hopes to prompt the thought, privacy is good for business. Is this even possible ?

Outline

1. A short background on privacy and data protection : Why does business naturally oppose it ?
2. Customer expectations around data are changing
3. Privacy and data protection features which build trust and help bussinesses
4. Product solutions remain incomplete solutions : caveats that technology cannot provide the certainty of law
5. Co-regulatory frameworks in which bussinesses are stakeholders in policy choices and forming brightline rules

Requirements

An interest and some understanding of the Indian legal system and how policy processes work.

Speaker bio

Apar Gupta is a lawyer who specialises in the technology and media sectors. Parts of his work are on data protection, encryption, privacy. These include legal advice, policy representations and respresentation in courts and tribunals. In his personal capacity he has been a part of the Section 66A Case and SavetheInternet.in campaign.