Govt assures protecting data privacy with satellite-based tolling on highways

NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over likely violation of data privacy due to real time tracking of vehicles fitted with device for satellite-based tolling (GNSS) on NHs, top govt officials said that the architecture is such it will ensure that the devices will capture vehicle signatures only when they enter designated stretches. This will automatically stop the moment the vehicle gets out of the GNSS stretches.

In response to a question on how the govt is ensuring no breach of data privacy, Union road transport secretary Anurag Jain said, “We are absolutely clear on data privacy. Your (vehicle) signature will be captured the moment you enter the national highway. The moment you exit, your signature will stop being captured.”

Sources said understanding the complexity of protecting data privacy, the scheme will first bring the commercial vehicles under this regime. “Detailed studies are being conducted on how to deal with this and how other countries have dealt with private vehicles. This may need actual testing to see and ensure that private data is not exposed,” said an official.

In fact, as per the concept note of GNSS, the ‘toll charger’ (software for calculating distance and toll amount on designated stretches) will be be capable of receiving per second “anonymised pings” from the devices installed in vehicles consisting of time-location stamp of device, virtual-ID associated with vehicle/ vehicle class. “Any data not falling on the NH network shall not be stored or processed further and discarded immediately. The toll charger will operate with the principle of purpose-limitation with objectivity of calculating toll,” it specified.

Jain said all the players, under this system, will have a contractual obligation with govt not to track at all times. He also said that there will be a grievance redressal mechanism.

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