Centre assures reviewal of PIL around apps sharing vehicle owners' details

The Central Government has assured the Delhi High Court that it will conduct a thorough review of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding apps that share personal details of vehicle owners, addressing the concerns raised in the petition.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, represented by counsel, informed the bench led by Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rai Gedela that it is taking the allegations in the petition very seriously and is actively investigating the matter.

The bench acknowledged the submission and directed that a affidavit be filed within eight weeks. Any rejoinder affidavit should be submitted before the next hearing date. The case is scheduled for listing on February 19, 2025.

 

The court's directions came while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) requesting that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways set aside the "Impugned Policy" for providing access to information from the National Register--a centralized database of Driving Licenses (DLs) and Registration Certificates (RCs).

The petitioner Gopal Bansal a practising advocate also sought directions for the Ministry of Law and Justice to establish appropriate legislation to protect this National Register, as well as for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to halt the operations of mobile applications that breach the data contained within the register.

The petitioner highlighted that several mobile applications available on the Google Play Store enable users to access sensitive information about any vehicle by simply entering its registration number.

Gopal Bansal argued that such information should be exempt from disclosure under Sections 8(1)(a), (e), and (g) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Additionally, he claimed that this information had previously been sold to third-party entities under the now-scrapped Bulk Data Sharing Policy and Procedure ("BDS Policy"). Despite the introduction of a new policy, he contended that the data is still being sold.

The plea was recently filed in the Delhi High Court raised concerns about various mobile applications that provide personal and sensitive information of vehicle owners to third parties. The plea highlighted that these apps grant easy access to private details, including the owner's name, address, and other vehicle-related data, which could lead to major privacy violations and potential security risks.

The petition also stated that such access could lead to the misuse of information for malicious purposes, compromising the safety and privacy of individuals. He seeks legal intervention to regulate or restrict the dissemination of personal information through these apps, calling for stricter enforcement of data protection laws and privacy safeguards.