Privacy for sale
An in-depth investigation by this newspaper yields a stunning database of thousands of people revealing their mobile numbers, email IDs, landline numbers and home addresses. Shockingly, each data sold for just 20 paise by unscrupulous dealers
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, November 06, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=20091106200911060341523282196f4b3)
The chances are that we might also know these things about you. How? You will be surprised, even appalled, but your personal information — which you guard so zealously — is being peddled for 20 paise. Don’t squint, you read it right, it’s 20 paise.
One of the agents offered the reporter personal details about current and former students of the Gujarat University (GU) and recent applicants of GCET, an entrance test conducted by Gujarat Technological University (GTU) for MBA aspirants.
The Lal Darwaja-based agent, who identified himself as only Zahid, demanded Rs 5,000 for details about 22,529 GCET applicants and Rs 2,000 for information about 35,836 arts and commerce students of GU students. When Mirror reporter enquired whether the data was authentic, Javed said: “Mera paas latest data hai (I have latest data).” He even shared two samples of the aforesaid data.
The GCET sample contains students’ names; data of birth; phone numbers; their residential and e-mail addresses; enrollment numbers; name of their college; the year they cleared class XII and their marks. It also provides details about students’ disabilities, if any. The other sample contains students’ names; phone numbers; details about their college and their performance in previous examinations.
Another agent, who refused to identify himself, offered personal details of students who have taken the Common Admission Test (CAT), which is conducted by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). “Soon, I will get details of (former) CAT applicants in Ahmedabad and other cities. I can sell them to you,” he said.
One more agent, Naitik, claimed that he had confidential data of 10 lakh Gujarat-based customers of a leading telecom company. Adiya, who operates from Sola, was willing to share the data for 20 paise per customer. Such data peddlers possess contact and residential information of not only Ahmedabad residents, but also other cities. They, in fact, sell customised ‘data sheets’, i.e. information is categorised according to people’s age, location, future needs, buying habits and wallet strength.
Mirror contacted some of the students whose information was shared by data agent Javed. Almost all of them expressed shock when they were told that their contacts details were up for grabs. “How can someone share my personal information without my permission,” Bhavesh Rathod, who took GCET this year, grumbled. “Now, I understand why I have been getting so many calls from private educational institutes offering admission.”
Bhavesh said that the GTU, which conducts GCET, should prevent leak of students’ records. Another GCET taker, Mrugesh Panchal, said that he, too, had been getting pesky calls from private institutes. “This is unacceptable. GTU must do something to protect our data,” he said.
Saumil Shah, who also took the test this year, seconded Mrugesh. “Something has to be done. My privacy is important to me. My contact details have been leaked that is why I am getting calls even from Bangalore-based colleges, where I never applied for admission.”
Senior officials of both GU and GTU said that the illegal sale of students’ data was a matter of concern. “This is a very serious issue. We will inquire into it and find out who is putting at risk our students’ privacy,” the vice-chancellor of GU, Parimal Trivedi, said.
Trivedi said that the varsity shared students’ contact details with only GU-affiliated colleges for placement purpose. “We don’t share any information except name and mobile number with affiliated colleges,” he said. According to sources in the varsity, database of students’ records is developed at Rollwala Computer Centre on GU’s campus. “Someone at the centre might have passed on such sensitive information to data peddler,” the sources said.
The registrar of GTU, N N Bhuptani, also expressed concern over data trade. “We had selected 26 centres for verification of students’ online forms. Information may have been leaked at one of the centres,” he said.
Bhuptani said that GTU would take measures to protect students’ privacy. “We will ensure this doesn’t happen again,” he said. The university conducted online GCET for the first time this year. It had asked applicants to submit forms online.
Mirror probe
• The market for sale of information is run by “data agents”, who source information from employees of telecom companies, financial firms, govt-backed educational institutes and every other commercial entity that keeps consumers’ records
• A Mirror reporter, posing as a buyer, spoke to a few data agents and found people’s privacy can be comprised by paying only a paltry sum
• One of the agents, Zahid, offered personal details of 35,836 GU students for Rs 2,000. He also offered contact details of 22,529 students who took GCET this year for Rs 5,000. The agent even sent samples of the data
• The GCET sample (see picture below) contains students’ names; data of birth; phone numbers; their residential and e-mail addresses every other academic information
• Two other agents offered the reporter data of CAT applicants and 10 lakh Gujarat-based customers of a leading telecom company
• Such agents also sell customised ‘data sheets’, i.e. personal information of people categorised according to their age, location, future needs, buying habits and wallet strength
Who are the buyers
• Buyers of illegally sold personal information of Amdavadis are a diverse lot — from lenders, credit card companies, telemarketers, consumer stores, private educational institutes, job portals to even some foreign agencies
• Telemarketers, including those who SMS offers on mobile phones, lead the pack. They use confidential data to contact people and offer a range of goods and services
• Even some small event management firms allegedly indulge in use of people’s private data. They use such information to send invites (through post and e-mail) to people for new store openings or product launches
• Private data changes hands several times in this illegal trade. One buyer uses information and then sells it to another buyer
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, November 06, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=20091106200911060341523282196f4b3)
Yash Shah (20), Trupti Dave (22), Jayesh Shah (35) are all law-abiding Amdavadis. We have never met or spoken to them, but we know their phone numbers and where they live, study or work. We even know which clubs or bookstores they frequent and how much they spend on communication.
The chances are that we might also know these things about you. How? You will be surprised, even appalled, but your personal information — which you guard so zealously — is being peddled for 20 paise. Don’t squint, you read it right, it’s 20 paise.Ahmedabad Mirror carried out an investigation into the sale of people’s confidential details, and found that there is virtually an organised industry for data trade. The industry, whose growth is fuelled by telemarketers and lenders, is run by ‘data agents’, who source information from dishonest employees of almost every leading educational institute, telecom company, financial firm and commercial entity that keeps consumers’ records.
So, if you have shared personal details with your college, mobile service provider or have filled a form for an entrance test or a consumer survey at a store, the information will land in these agents’ hands. A Mirror reporter, posing as a buyer of personal data, spoke to a few agents and was stunned by the variety of information offered by them.One of the agents offered the reporter personal details about current and former students of the Gujarat University (GU) and recent applicants of GCET, an entrance test conducted by Gujarat Technological University (GTU) for MBA aspirants.
The Lal Darwaja-based agent, who identified himself as only Zahid, demanded Rs 5,000 for details about 22,529 GCET applicants and Rs 2,000 for information about 35,836 arts and commerce students of GU students. When Mirror reporter enquired whether the data was authentic, Javed said: “Mera paas latest data hai (I have latest data).” He even shared two samples of the aforesaid data.
The GCET sample contains students’ names; data of birth; phone numbers; their residential and e-mail addresses; enrollment numbers; name of their college; the year they cleared class XII and their marks. It also provides details about students’ disabilities, if any. The other sample contains students’ names; phone numbers; details about their college and their performance in previous examinations.
Another agent, who refused to identify himself, offered personal details of students who have taken the Common Admission Test (CAT), which is conducted by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). “Soon, I will get details of (former) CAT applicants in Ahmedabad and other cities. I can sell them to you,” he said.
One more agent, Naitik, claimed that he had confidential data of 10 lakh Gujarat-based customers of a leading telecom company. Adiya, who operates from Sola, was willing to share the data for 20 paise per customer. Such data peddlers possess contact and residential information of not only Ahmedabad residents, but also other cities. They, in fact, sell customised ‘data sheets’, i.e. information is categorised according to people’s age, location, future needs, buying habits and wallet strength.
Mirror contacted some of the students whose information was shared by data agent Javed. Almost all of them expressed shock when they were told that their contacts details were up for grabs. “How can someone share my personal information without my permission,” Bhavesh Rathod, who took GCET this year, grumbled. “Now, I understand why I have been getting so many calls from private educational institutes offering admission.”
Bhavesh said that the GTU, which conducts GCET, should prevent leak of students’ records. Another GCET taker, Mrugesh Panchal, said that he, too, had been getting pesky calls from private institutes. “This is unacceptable. GTU must do something to protect our data,” he said.
Saumil Shah, who also took the test this year, seconded Mrugesh. “Something has to be done. My privacy is important to me. My contact details have been leaked that is why I am getting calls even from Bangalore-based colleges, where I never applied for admission.”
Senior officials of both GU and GTU said that the illegal sale of students’ data was a matter of concern. “This is a very serious issue. We will inquire into it and find out who is putting at risk our students’ privacy,” the vice-chancellor of GU, Parimal Trivedi, said.
Trivedi said that the varsity shared students’ contact details with only GU-affiliated colleges for placement purpose. “We don’t share any information except name and mobile number with affiliated colleges,” he said. According to sources in the varsity, database of students’ records is developed at Rollwala Computer Centre on GU’s campus. “Someone at the centre might have passed on such sensitive information to data peddler,” the sources said.
The registrar of GTU, N N Bhuptani, also expressed concern over data trade. “We had selected 26 centres for verification of students’ online forms. Information may have been leaked at one of the centres,” he said.
Bhuptani said that GTU would take measures to protect students’ privacy. “We will ensure this doesn’t happen again,” he said. The university conducted online GCET for the first time this year. It had asked applicants to submit forms online.
Mirror probe
• The market for sale of information is run by “data agents”, who source information from employees of telecom companies, financial firms, govt-backed educational institutes and every other commercial entity that keeps consumers’ records
• A Mirror reporter, posing as a buyer, spoke to a few data agents and found people’s privacy can be comprised by paying only a paltry sum
• One of the agents, Zahid, offered personal details of 35,836 GU students for Rs 2,000. He also offered contact details of 22,529 students who took GCET this year for Rs 5,000. The agent even sent samples of the data
• The GCET sample (see picture below) contains students’ names; data of birth; phone numbers; their residential and e-mail addresses every other academic information
• Two other agents offered the reporter data of CAT applicants and 10 lakh Gujarat-based customers of a leading telecom company
• Such agents also sell customised ‘data sheets’, i.e. personal information of people categorised according to their age, location, future needs, buying habits and wallet strength
Who are the buyers
• Buyers of illegally sold personal information of Amdavadis are a diverse lot — from lenders, credit card companies, telemarketers, consumer stores, private educational institutes, job portals to even some foreign agencies
• Telemarketers, including those who SMS offers on mobile phones, lead the pack. They use confidential data to contact people and offer a range of goods and services
• Even some small event management firms allegedly indulge in use of people’s private data. They use such information to send invites (through post and e-mail) to people for new store openings or product launches
• Private data changes hands several times in this illegal trade. One buyer uses information and then sells it to another buyer
