People should have right to their data, firms are mere custodians: Trai

In a move with far-reaching ramifications, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Monday said users owned their data, while entities in the digital ecosystem storing or processing such data were mere custodians. The authority said it was limiting its recommendations to telecom service providers (TSPs) as the larger issues on data protection for all sectors would be addressed by the committee headed by Justice B N Srikrishna.

The recommendations have come at a time when there are rising concerns around privacy and safety of user data, especially through mobile apps and social media platforms. 

These recommendations, when accepted by the