The US-based online retailer Amazon has refused to appear before Parliament’s joint committee on the data protection bill next week, which could amount to a violation of parliamentary privilege, it said on Friday. the chairman of the panel, Meenakshi Lekhi, indicating that action can be taken against the company.
Meanwhile, Facebook’s chief of policy for India, Ankhi Das, appeared before the panel on the issue of data security on Friday and was questioned by members about the revenue and advertising models, the hiring process and the ” neutrality “within the organization. A period of two weeks was given to submit written responses to the questions. The panel convened officials from Twitter on October 28, and from Google and Paytm on October 29 as part of its investigation into data protection, artificial intelligence and privacy issues.
“The panel is unanimous in its opinion that coercive action can be suggested to the government against the e-commerce company. Amazon has refused to appear before the panel on October 28 and if no one on behalf of the e-commerce company comes before the panel, that amounts to a violation of privilege, “Lekhi said.
After Amazon was asked to attend the meeting on October 28, it responded on October 8 to the panel’s letter expressing inability to attend as there is no regular transportation from the US to India, so company representatives cannot come from California. said two panelists who did not want to be named.
According to another official familiar with the matter, Amazon wrote to the committee that it would not be able to attend due to the risks associated with travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Due to current circumstances and risks associated with travel, our overseas subject matter experts will not be able to appear for deposition. Therefore, we will have to reject the request for deposition, ”said the company’s letter to the committee.
“Unlike many other entities seeking time or requesting an alternate time for deposition, Amazon did not request such a relaxation. They just broadcast that they can’t come, ”said one of the members quoted above.
In response to an inquiry from HT, Amazon said: “We have the utmost respect and consideration for the important work that the JPC is doing on the PDP bill and have already offered our written submissions for consideration by this august Committee. We will continue to participate in the way the JPC deems appropriate. The inability of our experts to travel from abroad due to travel restrictions and to appear before the JPC during the ongoing pandemic may have been misunderstood and led to a misunderstanding and we will work with the JPC to clear things up. “
Several MPs at the meeting suggested that Lekhi write to Amazon and explain the importance of the committee and the consequences he could face if he did not appear before the panel.
“Amazon must know that it is not an option. Parliament’s rules are absolutely clear that if an entity is asked to appear before the panel, it is mandatory. This is a committee made up of members of both houses of Parliament, ”said a deputy.
“It was also suggested that the panel should inform the trade and information technology ministries about Amazon’s position on the deposition issue because if any action is taken against the company, the government has to decide,” said the deputy. .
Facebook said in a statement that it supported efforts toward data protection.
“We deeply appreciate the opportunity to discuss data regulation issues with the honorable members of the Joint Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill. We believe that India’s data protection law has the potential to boost the country’s digital economy and global digital commerce, and we wholeheartedly support this effort. That is why we deeply appreciate being a part of this discussion and we will continue to work together with governments and regulators to find the right solutions that not only protect user privacy, but are also interoperable with other important global privacy regulations ”, the Facebook statement said. .
According to people familiar with the details, the panel sought a detailed written submission of a set of 20 to 25 questions on the details of the company’s policy on removal of pages; about the advertising model they follow around the world; and in which country the social media platform pays the highest tax. The company, represented by Ankhi Das and Bhairav Acharya, who are part of Facebook’s policy team in India, was asked if the company has a “hiring bias.”
“They were asked if it is true that about 90% of their employees have contributed to the Democrats. If so, that is the reason the contacts that published the New York Post news report on Hunter Biden were blocked. They were also investigated on the hiring policy and if there is a bias that is reflected in the appointments that are made in India and other countries, ”said a person with the details.
There was an uproar last week after New York Post stories based on alleged Hunter Biden emails detailing his financial relationships with the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma and a Chinese energy company were prevented from sharing online. Biden’s father, Joe Biden, is in the running for the presidency.
The social media company was summoned to discuss the issue of its alleged misuse of its platform following claims that it did not apply the rules of hate speech to certain BJP politicians, and on the company’s policy on privacy and protection. of data.
The company defended its position, arguing that it would not be in India’s best interests to insist against cross-border data transfer, according to people familiar with the matter, adding that Facebook said a large number of startups had emerged in recent times. . to India and if there was no international data transfer, these companies would have to leave the country.
Facebook told the panel that in most European countries, parental consent is needed to open an account for children under the age of 13, but in India that number is 18, which should be lowered, the people cited above said, adding that in the questions. Regarding Facebook’s alleged attempt to rig the elections in the United States, the social media giant denied all the allegations.
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