Will go against Amazon if it is absent on Oct 28: Parl panel head

Amazon, which refused to appear before the Joint Committee of Parliament on Data Protection Bill, was summoned by the panel along with Twitter on October 28. Google and Paytm have been summoned on October 29. Talking about the schedule of the meetings of the panel, Lekhi said Amazon refused to appear before the panel. “Amazon has refused to appear before the panel on October 28 and if no one on behalf of the e-commerce company appears, it amounts to breach of privilege,” she said. “The panel is unanimous in its opinion that further a coercive action can be suggested to the government against the e-commerce company,” she said.

Amazon’s public policy official in response to the parliamentary committee has expressed the e-commerce company’s inability to appear before the panel as its subject experts (on data protection) are based overseas and cannot travel because of COVID-19.

The Joint Committee of Parliament on Data Protection Bill on Friday questioned Facebook India executive Ankhi Das for almost two hours. Sources said a team of Facebook representatives appeared and were asked a volley of questions by members of the panel. The crux of the discussion was data protection.