In a surprise move, Amazon has refused to appear before a joint committee of the Parliament next week, that is looking into the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 which empowers the government to ask companies for both anonymous personal and non-personal data. The e-retailer giant is scheduled to appear before the committee on October 28.

This has irked the committee members including its Chairperson and BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi. Sources suggest that the committee which has 20 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, is of the unanimous opinion that if Amazon representatives indeed fail to show up on the 28th, "appropriate actions" can be initiated against the US business giant. However, there is no clarity so far, as far as the nature of "appropriate actions" is concerned.