The government tightens control over one of the largest digital markets in the world. According to reports, India aims to develop new regulations for technology firms doing business in the country. Restrictions were deemed to happen after the infamous Uber file leak.
The comments from Rajeev Chandrasekhar, junior minister for electronics and information technology, after recent accusations in Britain’s Guardian newspaper that Uber breached the law in India and other nations during its rapid worldwide growth.
Repercussions after Uber files leak?
Firstly, the government believes that numerous technological firms have used weaknesses or loopholes in legal systems around the globe to their advantage. Chandrasekhar claims that Indian law must keep up with the quickly advancing technology.
Chandrasekhar states, “In some respects, the [Uber] discoveries merely reinforce that in many instances, the Big Tech companies are essentially gaming the system and the customers. The government’s goal is to create a trustworthy, accountable, and open internet.”
A series of regulations enacted last year that mandate social media companies remove anything the government deems damaging to the national interest could be followed by further legislation.
It is considering changing the regulations to allow a government-run body to overturn social media companies’ content moderation decisions. WhatsApp and Twitter have sued the government over the rules.
According to The Indian Express, the business tried to develop relationships with influential individuals who might promote/protect Uber and educate Uber about the taxi/for-hire market. According to a leaked email, the business reportedly finalized such a list for India. Since it started doing business in India in 2013, Uber has seen several run-ins with regulators and other authorities.
This hasn’t changed recently, as evidenced by notices that a consumer rights organization sent to the corporation in May of this year regarding suspected unfair business practices and infringement of consumer rights. Ola, the fiercest rival of Uber in India, is under investigation.
Lastly, according to India’s new VPN rule, VPN companies are to store and hand over user data to the Indian government. The new law stirred up a lot of controversy leading many VPN services to stop providing services in the country.
