The country is in debate mode. Ever since the ruling on the individual’s right to privacy was announced, the entire country is debating what privacy is. Well, here is the definition of the right to privacy: the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves, or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively. It just means that each and every human being is in control of what they wish to give away about themselves. This is a matter of control. When 9 judges unanimously pronounce that the average citizen is given the right to guard his personal data, I think it says a lot about our country.
What to expect:
Well, there will be less celebrity news and photos. Investigative reports and the such will have to go through a vast network of legal tunnels to get the information they require. That is a bane because some of us literally live for the juicy stories brought out from invasion of their private lives.
The Modi government is taking a u-turn on what side of privacy they stood for (they are now for privacy). But in all fairness, they had a different view to privacy.
Our personal data cannot be shared by banks to insurance companies and the vice versa. Personally I am relieved. How they get my personal data is – I’m sure – illegal. I believe the whole network of such activities will come down now – that’s the hope at least.
We are not required to state our sexual orientation. This is a huge relief to the LGBTQ community, no one has to state their sexual preference. Not now, not ever.
I think beef will no longer be banned from states. The ruling on privacy has a faint border on civil rights – we can eat what we want to and wear what we want to, without having to answer to the constitution. It is ridiculous that states are allowed to ban beef!
The actual debate:
Aadhaar is a unique system where each person has to give their finger print and their retina print for the making of the 12 digit biometric identification card, now used by 80% of the population in India. The debate being: will the authorities misuse the unique identification? After all, this debate to privacy started when the people began to question how protected their privacy is with the Aadhaar card.
Counter statement: We are at an age where our shopping patterns are recorded by various companies and used to optimize our shopping experience. If they record our shopping habits, what else could they be recording? The internet is already offering to remember our passwords, Yahoo! has openly stated that they give FBI access to civilian e-mail accounts if the need be. This is just the emails.
Today’s world is ruled by social platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter and the like. Together they shape and decide what news reaches us, what opinion we form what product we buy – remember how coconut oil was scientifically proven to be the best oil in the world? Well, there is a study published that contradicts the same claims this happened last week. Opinions change with demand for commodity. Who is actually controlling these?
I laud this judgment by the Supreme court even though it has opened a Pandora’s box. But really, it is just an illusion for security. No man on the planet is un monitored. That’s just how the safety, security and economics of every nation, works. Information manipulates demand, information is in every respect today’s currency. It can be sold and exchanged for more. In the future, we will have to take up a second democracy for cyber space. I think there is one already. It’s just a matter of time until we are introduced to it, perhaps not in this generation.
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