Do you have parking space? Only then you can buy a new car!
Bengaluru, June 20: Transport Minister DC Thammanna said that the state government is planning to give permission to purchase new cars to only those who have parking space.
Speaking to reporters at the Vidhana Soudha here on Wednesday, he said that the government has planned to control the purchase of diesel cars. As the first step, steps were taken to reduce the registration of new diesel cars. The department would start campaigns to use community transport system to ease traffic congestion. He would shortly submit a proposal to the Urban Development Department to develop roads, he said.
No bus fare hike
The department meeting would be held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister on June 27 and 28 wherein budget issues would be discussed. Issues like hiking bus fares including BMTC would also be discussed. As of now, there is no proposal to hike bus fare. But steps would be taken to compensate the losses, he clarified.
Free bus pass
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy would shortly announce on giving free bus passes to all students irrespective of any categories on the line of SC/ST students. The government has already decided to issue free bus passes 19.6 lakh students including SC/ST categories. In the Congress government, then chief minister Siddaramaiah had announced free bus passes. But the Finance department did not approve the proposal. But he has discussed with the Chief Minister now and the latter has agreed ‘in –principle’ to issue free bus passes, the Minister said.
The free bus passes to SC/ST students would cost Rs 114 crore to the state Exchequer and the Social Welfare Department would bear that cost. In the same way, the department would re quire Rs 629 crore to give free bus passes to backward classes and general category students. As per the existing norms, out of the total cost, the government should bear 50 per cent, KSRTC 25 per cent and the beneficiary 25 per cent cost. For free bus pass, students need not pay anything. Now, it is the question of this 25 per cent amount. If either the Education department or the government provided that amount, the department is ready to issue free bus passes, he said.
“If we want to control the private bus operators menace in the state including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and other districts, all routes should be nationalized. It is impossible task as of now. The system should be corruption-free right from the bottom to top. I have already directed the authorities to check corruption wherever it is possible”.
- DC Thammanna, Transport Minister
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CCI slaps Meta with Rs 213 crore fine over WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update
New Delhi, Nov 18: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday imposed a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on social media major Meta for unfair business ways with respect to WhatsApp privacy policy update done in 2021.
Besides, the competition watchdog has directed Meta to “cease and desist” from anti-competitive practices.
Meta and WhatsApp have also been asked to implement certain behavioural remedies within a defined timeline to address the anti-competition issues, according to a CCI order.
The regulator has called for implementing various remedial measures, including barring WhatsApp from sharing data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or Meta company products for advertising purposes for five years.
Among other directions, CCI has said that sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies or Meta company products for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India.
The Competition Commission of India (Commission) on Monday imposed a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on Meta for abusing its dominant position,
Passing the order against abuse of dominance, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said this (penalty) relates to how WhatsApp's 2021 Privacy Policy was implemented and how user data was collected and shared with other Meta companies.
For the case, CCI delineated two relevant markets -- OTT messaging apps through smartphones in India, and online display advertising in India. "Meta Group operating through WhatsApp was found to be dominant in the market for OTT messaging apps through smartphones in India. "Furthermore, it was also found that Meta holds a leading position compared to its competitors in online display advertising in India," CCI said in a release.
Starting from January 2021, WhatsApp notified users about updates to its terms of service and privacy policies.
The in-app notification, effective from February 8, 2021, stated that users were required to accept these terms, including expanded scope of data collection as well as mandatory data sharing with Meta companies, to continue using WhatsApp.
Under the previous privacy policy dated August 25, 2016, WhatsApp users were given the option to decide whether they wanted to share their data with Facebook, the release said.
"However, with the latest policy update in 2021, WhatsApp made data sharing with Meta mandatory for all users, removing the earlier option to opt-out. As a result, users had to accept the new terms, which include data sharing with Meta, in order to continue using the platform," it added.
The watchdog has concluded that the 2021 policy update by WhatsApp on a "take-it-or-leave-it" basis constitutes an imposition of unfair condition under the Competition Act, as it compels all users to accept expanded data collection terms and sharing of data within Meta Group without any opt out.
"Given the network effects and lack of effective alternatives, the 2021 update forces users to comply, undermining their autonomy, and constitutes an abuse of Meta's dominant position. Accordingly, the Commission finds that Meta (through WhatsApp) has contravened Section 4(2)(a)(i) of the Act," it said.
Further, CCI said that sharing of WhatsApp users' data between Meta companies for purposes other than providing WhatsApp Service creates an entry barrier for the rivals of Meta and thus, results in denial of market access in the display advertisement market.
According to the regulator, Meta has engaged in leveraging its dominant position in the OTT messaging apps through smartphones to protect its position in the online display advertising market in contravention of the competition law.
CCI has barred WhatsApp from sharing data collected on its platform with other Meta companies or Meta company products for advertising purposes for five years and the debarment period will start from the date of receipt of this order.
With respect to sharing of WhatsApp user data for purposes other than advertising, the regulator said WhatsApp's policy should include a detailed explanation of the user data shared with other Meta companies or Meta company Products.
"This explanation should specify the purpose of data sharing, linking each type of data to its corresponding purpose," it said.
The watchdog also said that sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies or Meta company products for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India.
Regarding sharing of WhatsApp user data for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services, CCI said all users in India (including users who have accepted 2021 update) will be provided with the choice to manage such data sharing by way of an opt-out option prominently through an in-app notification.
Also, the regulator has asked for the option to review and modify their choice with respect to such sharing of data through a prominent tab in settings of WhatsApp application, and all future policy updates should comply with these requirements.
