Data Privacy Breach: Website Found Selling Data of 250,000 MBBS Applicants For Rs. 1 Lakh

A new case of breach of data privacy in India has surfaced in which the information of the applicants of a medical entrance examination is being sold blatantly online. Business Standard reports that a website (Nari Technologies) which offers career counseling has hoarded data of more than 250,000 appearing in National Eligibility Cum Archway Test (NEET) and this data is put upward for auction for a price of Rs. 1,00,000.

As per the written report, this database contains disquisitional information such as name, examination ringlet number, all-India rank, and their mobile numbers. NEET is the standard entrance test for medical and dental undergraduate courses which is conducted by CBSE and more than than 1.3 1000000 students appear for it each year.

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In spite of illegitimately storing private data of students, the proprietor of the business organisation defends this as completely legal. Praveen Chaudhary, who owns the company, told Business Standard that it collects the data through various channels including social media. He claims that students merchandise their data willingly with the portal in exchange for free counseling and advice from experts.

Chaudhary's company offers this information to other companies including those which sell study material to students. These companies contact students using the mobile numbers shared by them. Too selling the database of students, Chaudhary's company also provides a complete dashboard to its clients for them to market educational products to students.

As function of the dashboard, clients get resource to send highly targeted text messages. Clients also become 100,000 free SMSes after which they have to pay Rs. 14,000 for another batch of 100,000.

"To exist honest, we don't ask people if they are okay with their data being sold commercially to other entities but information technology is understood by everyone that if they are providing their data, it volition exist given to specific people who may contact them offering their services," said Chaudhary.

This is an alarming outcome, especially at the time when data privacy is attracting the attention of lawmakers not just in Republic of india but worldwide. At the time of writing this, the website appears to accept been taken down.