Centre for Internet & Society

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Blog Entry (Updated) Information Security Practices of Aadhaar (or lack thereof): A documentation of public availability of Aadhaar Numbers with sensitive personal financial information
by Amber Sinha and Srinivas Kodali published May 01, 2017 last modified Mar 13, 2019 12:29 AM — filed under: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Since its inception in 2009, the Aadhaar project has been shrouded in controversy due to various questions raised about privacy, technological issues, welfare exclusion, and security concerns. In this study, we document numerous instances of publicly available Aadhaar Numbers along with other personally identifiable information (PII) of individuals on government websites. This report highlights four government projects run by various government departments that have made sensitive personal financial information and Aadhaar numbers public on the project websites.
Located in Internet Governance
Blog Entry 2015 USTR Report: Old Wine in New Bottle
by Anubha Sinha published May 11, 2015 last modified Jun 16, 2015 10:24 AM — filed under: , , ,
Every year, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) undertakes an elaborate exercise to castigate countries' domestic intellectual property (IP) law and policy. The criticisms and recommendations are presented in a document called the Special 301 Report. This year's edition puts India on the Priority Watch List for the twenty-sixth time in a row. Below, I rebut the report's prejudicial claims and demands, and argue that the report puts free speech, innovation and public interest in jeopardy.
Located in Access to Knowledge / Blogs
Blog Entry Analysis of Aadhaar Act in the Context of A.P. Shah Committee Principles
by Vipul Kharbanda published Mar 17, 2016 last modified Mar 17, 2016 07:43 PM — filed under: , , , , , , ,
Whilst there are a number of controversies relating to the Aadhaar Act including the fact that it was introduced in a manner so as to circumvent the majority of the opposition in the upper house of the Parliament and that it was rushed through the Lok Sabha in a mere eight days, in this paper we shall discuss the substantial aspects of the Act in relation to privacy concerns which have been raised by a number of experts. In October 2012, the Group of Experts on Privacy constituted by the Planning Commission under the chairmanship of Justice AP Shah Committee submitted its report which listed nine principles of privacy which all legislations, especially those dealing with personal should adhere to. In this paper, we shall discuss how the Aadhaar Act fares vis-à-vis these nine principles.
Located in Internet Governance / Blog
Blog Entry Analysis of the Report of the Group of Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security and Implications for India
by Elonnai Hickok and Vipul Kharbanda published Jul 30, 2016 last modified Aug 11, 2016 09:58 AM — filed under: , , ,
This paper analyses the report of the Group of Experts and and India’s compliance with its recommendations based on existing laws and policies. Given the global nature of these challenges and the need for nations to holistically address such challenges from a human rights and security perspective, CIS believes that the Group of Experts and similar international forums are useful and important forums for India to actively engage with.
Located in Internet Governance / Blog
Blog Entry Analyzing the Latest List of Blocked URLs by Department of Telecommunications (IIPM Edition)
by Snehashish Ghosh published Feb 16, 2013 last modified Feb 17, 2013 07:35 AM — filed under: , , , , ,
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in its order dated February 14, 2013 has issued directions to the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block seventy eight URLs. The block order has been issued as a result of a court order. Snehashish Ghosh does a preliminary analysis of the list of websites blocked as per the DoT order.
Located in Internet Governance / Blog
Blog Entry Announcement of a Three-Region Research Alliance on the Appropriate Use of Digital Identity
by Amber Sinha published May 13, 2019 last modified May 13, 2019 09:06 AM — filed under: , , , , ,
Omidyar Network has recently announced its decision to invest in establishment of a three-region research alliance — to be co-led by the Institute for Technology & Society (ITS), Brazil, the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) , Kenya, and the CIS, India — on the Appropriate Use of Digital Identity. As part of this Alliance, we at the CIS will look at the policy objectives of digital identity projects, how technological policy choices can be thought through to meet the objectives, and how legitimate uses of a digital identity framework may be evaluated.
Located in Internet Governance / Blog
Blog Entry Atmanirbhar Bharat Meets Digital India: An Evaluation of COVID-19 Relief for Migrants
by Ankan Barman published Jun 03, 2021 — filed under: , , , , , ,
With the onset of the national lockdown on 24th March 2020 in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, the fate of millions of migrant workers was left uncertain. In addition, lack of enumeration and registration of migrant workers became a major obstacle for all State Governments and the Central Government to channelize relief and welfare measures.
Located in RAW
Blog Entry Availability and Accessibility of Government Information in Public Domain
by Sunil Abraham published Dec 09, 2014 last modified Dec 30, 2014 01:25 AM — filed under: , , , ,
The information provided on most Government websites such as Acts, notifications, rules, orders, minutes of meetings and consultations, etc. is usually in the form of electronic documents. However, these lack authenticity and accessibility and cannot be (text) searched., This policy brief identifies the problem areas with the current work flow being used to publish documents and proposes suitable modifications to make them easy to locate, authentic and accessible.
Located in Accessibility / Blog
Blog Entry Banking and Accessibility in India: A Report by CIS
by Nirmita Narasimhan published Aug 12, 2013 last modified Aug 13, 2013 04:00 AM — filed under: , ,
The report gives an analysis of banking accessibility for persons with disabilities in India. Besides a detailed look at the legal provisions and guidelines on banking and technology, the report also provides a view on different disabilities in relation to banking and accessibility in India and contains case studies and guidelines from countries such as New Zealand, Australia, the United States of America, Canada and the Netherlands. The report sums up the analysis with suggestions and recommendations to improve banking accessibility for persons with disabilities in India.
Located in Accessibility / Blog
Blog Entry Big Data and Positive Social Change in the Developing World: A White Paper for Practitioners and Researchers
by Nishant Shah published Oct 01, 2014 — filed under: , , , , ,
I was a part of a working group writing a white paper on big data and social change, over the last six months. This white paper was produced by a group of activists, researchers and data experts who met at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Centre to discuss the question of whether, and how, big data is becoming a resource for positive social change in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Located in Internet Governance / Blog