Govt to rescind vehicles' Bulk Data Sharing Policy to protect privacy

The government had come out with the 'Bulk Data Sharing Policy & Procedure' policy last year, saying it was to support the automobile industry

To protect personal information and privacy, the government has decided to do away with the data sharing policy where organisations and researchers could buy bulk data pertaining to vehicle registrations on an annual basis, according to a document.

Under the Bulk Data Sharing Policy and Procedure, eligible bodies could purchase the data for Rs 3 crore from fiscal 2020-2021 and on conditions of strict security steps to prevent its theft or transfer.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways collects and holds data as part of issuance of Vehicle Registration Certificates (RC) and Driver Licence (DL).

It has been decided