Non-personal data in raw form needs to be shared with competition: Govt

People can submit their comments on the report till August 13 after which the final set of recommendations will  be announced.

A government-appointed panel feels that companies need to share non personal data in raw or anonymised form with rivals as it is community data but unfair requests can be denied.  The panel, headed by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, has already submitted its draft report to the government recommending the need to regulate non-personal data and check monopolies.

Speaking during a virtual meeting on Thursday, Gopalakrishnan said even if a request comes from a competition, data needs to be shared but a company can deny an unfair request. Asked who will decide if the request is fair or unfair, Gopalakrishnan said the non-personal data authority will have the powers to take a call. He added that most of the companies have given positive feedback regarding formulation of rules for non-personal data during deliberations on the matter.

In the next five years, it can be a $500 billion business opportunity, he said. People can submit their comments on the report till August 13 after which the final set of recommendations will  be announced.  As per the report, this is the right time to set out rules to regulate the data ecosystem to provide certainty for existing businesses and provide incentives for new business creation, as well as to release enormous untapped social and public value from data.

“It is reported that Google and Facebook together control about 60% of the internet advertising market in the US. It is also estimated that Amazon had a 37% share of the online e-commerce market in the US in 2019,” the report said.
It added that for a few companies that dominate the digital and data business, the network effects lead to outsized benefits and creates a certain imbalance in the digital industry.