SFLC.in, as part of its ‘Bill Do, Number No!’ campaign, advocates against the practice of businesses compelling customers to provide personal contact information such as mobile numbers or email addresses to access basic services like receiving bills, invoices or order details. Forcing consumers to disclose personal data in exchange for basic services such as receipts, bills, or order confirmations not only undermines consumer autonomy, but also runs counter to data protection norms and put the consumers at risk of having their personal information leaked, especially when the phone numbers or email addresses are collected verbally at the time of sale.
To assist aggrieved customers, SFLC.in is publishing this template letter so that you may reach out to businesses and demand that they stop the illegal practice.
In the letter, we:
- Demand an end to the practice.
- Remind businesses that the practice is unlawful. As per the Advisory issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs on 26th May 2023, making services conditional on the disclosure of phone numbers or email addresses qualifies as an unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the Act. The Advisory also highlights that disclosure of personal information obtained at sale without consent is a punishable offence under Section 72A of the Information Technology Act (2000).
- Request the business to share details on the data collected. Clarity is sought on the purpose of collecting data, how it is used, for how long it is stored, and whether it is sold to third parties.
- Ask for a plan of action. We seek a written response from the businesses outlining the steps that will take, are taking, and have taken in this regard, and urge them to revise any policies that call for the collection of personal contact information.
If this practice continues, you as a consumer have the right to escalate the matter to relevant regulatory and consumer protection bodies. You can also assist in our campaign by filling out this short survey and describe incidents when you were asked to provide personal contact information.
If you would like to discuss this further, seek legal help, or get privacy and security training, feel free to contact us at mail@sflc.in . Remember, Bill Do, Number No!
Template Letter ODT – BDNN Campaign
