India’s Supreme Court: Individual privacy is a fundamental right

24 Aug India’s Supreme Court: Individual privacy is a fundamental right

The landmark ruling issued by a unanimous decision by India’s top court is a historic victory for privacy campaigners, reports Reuters. The decision by the nine-member bench of India’s Supreme Court is also a massive blow for India’s government, which argued that privacy is not a fundamental right. The issue went to the courts when privacy groups claimed that India’s ID cards–mandatory for anyone who wants to open a bank account or when filing tax returns–created a profile of everything from an individual’s friends to finances to spending habits, thus giving the government a comprehensive view into everyone’s life. There were also concerns about the large-scale identity theft that could happen if hackers were able to breach the databases that stored the ID card system’s information.

Source: Fast Company