Delhi High Court Restrains Disclosure Of Confidential Information Of Axis Max Life Insurance Customers On Dark Web, Online Platforms
The Delhi High Court has restrained disclosure or transmission of confidential personal information of Axis Max Life Insurance customers on online platforms and dark web. Justice Saurabh Banerjee passed the interim order in the suit filed by Axis Max Life Insurance Limited against an unknown entity(s) threatening that the confidential and sensitive personal data of its 20 lakh customers will...
The Delhi High Court has restrained disclosure or transmission of confidential personal information of Axis Max Life Insurance customers on online platforms and dark web.
Justice Saurabh Banerjee passed the interim order in the suit filed by Axis Max Life Insurance Limited against an unknown entity(s) threatening that the confidential and sensitive personal data of its 20 lakh customers will be published for sale on the dark web, if it did not deal and negotiate.
The suit said that the unknown entity(s) was sending emails by using a profile with the name 'Jewellers Rajdeep' and was sending threatening emails to Axis Max Life Insurance's Chief Manager-Marketing.
Issuing summons in the suit, the Court said that any disclosure or misuse of the sensitive confidential and personal data of Axis Max Life Insurance as also its customers poses a significant risk to the company's recognized brand and reputation, customer trust and regulatory obligations.
“Also, this Court is mindful of the fact that the plaintiff is not a fly by night operator and, in fact, is a leading insurance provider in India, and its business heavily relies on maintaining trust and confidence of the highest order as clients share with the plaintiff highly sensitive information which if misused can drive the customers away thereby, damaging the plaintiff's market share and brand integrity,” the Court said.
Further, it added that letting anyone like the defendant unknown entity(s) to carry on with its activities will lead to huge ramifications, especially, with the common man at large being at risk with personal details out in the open with no amount of confidentiality left with.
The Court said that any disclosure or publication or sale or misuse of the sensitive data which otherwise must be kept confidential as per industry and legal standards can result in significant harm to the general public at large as also the plaintiff company's customers wherein unfortunate acts such as identity theft, financial fraud, privacy violations and unauthorized transactions may occur.
“This is, more so, since the sensitive data can be misused for a variety of purposes including for the purpose of impersonating the plaintiff, which would also involve infringement of the plaintiff's registered trademark and passing off. In fact, the damages cannot not be compensated in terms of money especially since defendant no.3 is an unknown entity,” the Court said.
Justice Banerjee ordered blocking of the defendant's email address as well as disclosure of its email addresses, contact details, URLs, IP addresses from where the said email account was accessed, and location history available.
“Defendant no.3/ unknown entity(s) is directed to permanently delete and destroy all digital and physical copies of the information or data belonging to the plaintiff or its customers, which is in the possession or control of defendant no.3/ unknown entity(s), and to file a detailed affidavit of compliance within a period of two weeks,” the Court said.
The matter will now be heard on November 11.
Title: AXIS MAX LIFE INSURANCE LIMITED v. UNION OF INDIA & ORS.