A concerning trend is emerging in Sri Lanka's clothing retail sector, where stores are demanding customers' phone numbers in exchange for issuing bills. This practice is raising serious questions about consumer privacy and data security.

Here are the key details:

• Many Sri Lankan clothing retailers, including supermarket chains, have started insisting on collecting customer phone numbers if they don't possess a loyalty card. The reason cited is to send the bill via SMS, creating a situation where refusal becomes challenging for customers.

• What amplifies these concerns is that these retailers are known to sell the collected personal information to third parties. This practice poses significant risks to individual privacy, as sensitive data can be accessed for a price.

• To address these privacy issues, there's a growing call for Members of Parliament to consider amending the ongoing Online Safety Bill. The proposed amendment would address this troubling practice by ensuring that customers are not compelled to share their personal information unwillingly.

As this trend continues to cause privacy concerns, it raises important questions about the balance between convenience and the protection of individuals' personal data in Sri Lanka's retail sector.

(With inputs from NumbersLK)