Home / Crime and Justice / India Cops Private Vehicle Data Access Amid Privacy Fears
India Cops Private Vehicle Data Access Amid Privacy Fears
22 Oct
Summary
- Nearly 17 million queries made by private entities to India's vehicle databases.
- Centre discontinued data sharing with private firms on October 1, 2026.
- Concerns raised over personal vehicle owner information sold via apps and Telegram.
Between January 2024 and September 2026, private entities submitted approximately 17 million queries to India's national vehicle databases. This occurred before the government officially stopped sharing such data with private firms on October 1, 2026. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) had issued over 25,000 credentials to these private entities for accessing VAHAN, SARATHI, and related transport databases.
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) highlighted in September 2026 that personal vehicle owner details were being marketed via mobile applications and Telegram. For a small fee, apps offered extensive data including full names, addresses, and vehicle specifics, accessed with just a registration number. This access was more comprehensive than the official Parivahan portal.
Following these revelations, IFF urged an investigation into the data leak and filed RTI applications. NIC confirmed the discontinuation of private data sharing from October 1, 2026, following directions from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). However, the specific reasons and timeline for this directive were not provided.
Further concerns arose regarding data retention policies, as NIC indicated API logs are kept for only one year. The IFF is pursuing appeals against NIC's RTI response and seeking clarity on the permanency of the data sharing halt and deletion of previously obtained records.
