The Data Diva E164 - Vikram Koppikar and Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds, “The Data Diva” talks to Vikram Koppikar, Senior Manager, Privacy - South Asia and Metropolitan Asia,  Kenvue  - Formally Johnson Consumer Health (Mumbai). We discuss challenges faced by multinational corporations in terms of privacy laws and the differences between GDPR and APAC laws. Vikram expresses concern about the contradiction between the express consent and legitimate use provisions in the recent Indian Data Protection Act and suggests that the provision needs to be clarified or made more similar to the legitimate interest concept in GDPR to address these concerns. We discuss fines and penalties for companies that violate privacy regulations, the rights of Indian citizens to sue, and the importance of privacy as a fundamental right. The conversation touches on data localization requirements, limited data transfer mechanisms, and criminal penalties for data protection infractions in Asia, with a suggestion that monetary penalties on corporates may be more effective than criminal punishment. Debbie and Vikram stress the importance of ethical and legal processing and utilization of personal information for both individual and corporate benefit. They agree that companies must understand that data belongs to people and that privacy is a fundamental right. Vikram shares his hope for a society that realizes the power of personal information and the benefits it can bring to citizens, and Debbie highlights the importance of empowering people to understand their rights. They also discuss the impact of data protection regulations on companies, emphasizing the need for a roadmap to know what is expected of them when doing business in different regions. Support the show