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Internet Governance Blog

by Ben Bas last modified Mar 25, 2013 07:14 PM

Google Policy Fellowship Programme: Call for Applications

by Prasad Krishna — last modified May 17, 2013 09:01 AM

The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) is inviting applications for the Google Policy Fellowship programme. Google is providing a USD 7,500 stipend to the India Fellow, who will be selected by July 1, 2013.

Google Policy Fellowship Programme: Call for Applications - Read More…

The Surveillance Industry in India: At Least 76 Companies Aiding Our Watchers!

The Surveillance Industry in India: At Least 76 Companies Aiding Our Watchers!

by Maria Xynou — last modified May 09, 2013 06:48 PM

Maria Xynou is conducting research on surveillance technology companies operating in India. So far, 76 companies have been detected which are currently producing and selling different types of surveillance technology. This post entails primary data on the first ever investigation of the surveillance industry in India. Check it out!

The Surveillance Industry in India: At Least 76 Companies Aiding Our Watchers! - Read More…

IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, 69B Rules: Draft and Final Version Comparison

by Jadine Lannon — last modified Apr 30, 2013 05:47 PM

Jadine Lannon has performed a clause-by-clause comparison of the Draft 69B Rules and official 69B Rules under Section 69B in order to better understand how the two are similar and how they differ. Notes have been included on some changes we deemed to be important.

IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, 69B Rules: Draft and Final Version Comparison - Read More…

IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, 69 Rules: Draft and Final Version Comparison

by Jadine Lannon — last modified Apr 30, 2013 05:56 PM

Jadine Lannon has performed a clause-by-clause comparison of the Draft 69 Rules and official 69 Rules under Section 69B in order to better understand how the two are similar and how they differ. Very brief notes have been included on some changes we deemed to be important.

IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, 69 Rules: Draft and Final Version Comparison - Read More…

Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, 419A Rules and IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, 69 Rules

by Jadine Lannon — last modified Apr 30, 2013 06:04 PM

Jadine Lannon has performed a clause-by-clause comparison of the 419A Rules of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the 69 Rules under Section 69 of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 in order to better understand how the two are similar and how they differ. Though they are from different Acts entirely, the Rules are very similar. Notes have been included on some changes we deemed to be important.

Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, 419A Rules and IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, 69 Rules - Read More…

IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, 69A Rules: Draft and Final Version Comparison

by Jadine Lannon — last modified Apr 30, 2013 06:10 PM

Jadine Lannon has performed a clause-by-clause comparison of the 69A draft rules and 69A rules for Section 69A of the IT Act in order to better understand how the two differ. While there has been reshuffling of the clauses in the official rules, the content itself has not changed significantly. Notes have been included on some changes we deemed to be important.

IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, 69A Rules: Draft and Final Version Comparison - Read More…

Report on the 2nd Privacy Round Table meeting

Report on the 2nd Privacy Round Table meeting

by Maria Xynou — last modified Apr 24, 2013 06:23 PM

This post entails a report on the second Privacy Round Table meeting which took place on 20th April 2013.

Report on the 2nd Privacy Round Table meeting - Read More…

Report on the 1st Privacy Round Table meeting

Report on the 1st Privacy Round Table meeting

by Maria Xynou — last modified Apr 22, 2013 06:26 PM

This report entails an overview of the discussions and recommendations of the first Privacy Round Table meeting in New Delhi, on 13th April 2013.

Report on the 1st Privacy Round Table meeting - Read More…

India´s ´Big Brother´: The Central Monitoring System (CMS)

India´s ´Big Brother´: The Central Monitoring System (CMS)

by Maria Xynou — last modified Apr 28, 2013 05:45 PM

In this post, Maria Xynou looks at India´s Central Monitoring System (CMS) project and examines whether it can target individuals´ communications data, regardless of whether they are involved in illegal activity.

India´s ´Big Brother´: The Central Monitoring System (CMS) - Read More…

Off the Record

Off the Record

by Nishant Shah — last modified Apr 26, 2013 01:58 PM

Social networks track our world but not relationships. We live in a world where things happen. And yet, with the presence of digital objects, the things that happen have increased in intensity and volume.

Off the Record - Read More…

Comments on the Information Technology (Electronic Service Delivery) Rules, 2011

by Bhairav Acharya — last modified Apr 03, 2013 07:44 PM

Bhairav Acharya on behalf of the Centre for Internet and Society prepared the following comments on the Information Technology (Electronic Services Delivery) Rules, 2011. These were submitted to the Committee on Subordinate Legislation of the 15th Lok Sabha. These were submitted to the Committee on Subordinate Legislation of the 15th Lok Sabha.

Comments on the Information Technology (Electronic Service Delivery) Rules, 2011 - Read More…

WGIG+8: Stock-Taking, Mapping, and Going Forward

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Apr 04, 2013 02:49 PM

On February 27, 2013, the Centre for Internet and Society conducted a workshop on the Working Group on Internet Governance report, titled "WGIG+8: Stock-Taking, Mapping, and Going Forward" at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) + 10 meeting at Fontenoy Building, conference room # 7, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris from 9.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m.

WGIG+8: Stock-Taking, Mapping, and Going Forward - Read More…

Comments on the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011

by Bhairav Acharya — last modified Apr 02, 2013 06:21 PM

Bhairav Acharya on behalf of the Centre for Internet and Society prepared the following comments on the Sensitive Personal Data Rules. These were submitted to the Committee on Subordinate Legislation of the 15th Lok Sabha.

Comments on the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 - Read More…

Comments on the Information Technology (Guidelines for Cyber Cafe) Rules, 2011

by Bhairav Acharya — last modified Apr 03, 2013 07:44 PM

Bhairav Acharya on behalf of the Centre for Internet and Society submitted the following comments on the Information Technology (Guidelines for Cyber Cafe Rules), 2011.

Comments on the Information Technology (Guidelines for Cyber Cafe) Rules, 2011 - Read More…

The Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2013 — Penalising 'Peeping Toms' and Other Privacy Issues

by Divij Joshi — last modified Apr 25, 2013 01:31 PM

The pending amendments to the Indian Penal Code, if passed in their current format, would be a huge boost for individual physical privacy by criminalising stalking and sexually-tinted voyeurism and removing the ambiguities in Indian law which threaten the privacy and dignity of individuals.

The Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2013 — Penalising 'Peeping Toms' and Other Privacy Issues - Read More…

India's Biometric Identification Programs and Privacy Concerns

by Divij Joshi — last modified Apr 01, 2013 04:40 PM

The invasiveness of individual identification coupled with the fallibility of managing big data which biometric identification presents poses a huge risk to individual privacy in India.

India's Biometric Identification Programs and Privacy Concerns - Read More…

What’s In a Name? — DNS Singularity of ICANN and The Gold Rush

by Sharath Chandra Ram — last modified Mar 31, 2013 01:35 PM

March 2013 being the 28th birthday of the first ever registered Internet domain as well as the exigent launch of the Trademark Clearing House disguised as a milestone in rights protection by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for it’s new gTLD program, Sharath Chandra Ram, dissects the transitory role of ICANN from being a technical outfit to the Boardroom Big Brother of Internet Governance.

What’s In a Name? — DNS Singularity of ICANN and The Gold Rush - Read More…

Microsoft releases its first report on data requests by law enforcement agencies around the world

Microsoft releases its first report on data requests by law enforcement agencies around the world

by Maria Xynou — last modified Mar 27, 2013 11:16 PM

In this post, the Centre for Internet and Society presents Microsoft´s report on law enforcement requests, with a focus on data requested by Indian law enforcement agencies.

Microsoft releases its first report on data requests by law enforcement agencies around the world - Read More…

CIS Welcomes Standing Committee Report on IT Rules

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Apr 03, 2013 06:54 PM

The Centre for Internet and Society welcomes the report by the Standing Committee on Subordinate Legislation, in which it has lambasted the government and has recommended that the government amend the Rules it passed in April 2011 under section 79 of the Information Technology Act.

CIS Welcomes Standing Committee Report on IT Rules - Read More…

Driving in the Surveillance Society: Cameras, RFID tags and Black Boxes...

Driving in the Surveillance Society: Cameras, RFID tags and Black Boxes...

by Maria Xynou — last modified Mar 26, 2013 06:49 PM

In this post, Maria Xynou looks at red light cameras, RFID tags and black boxes used to monitor vehicles in India.

Driving in the Surveillance Society: Cameras, RFID tags and Black Boxes... - Read More…

The Privacy (Protection) Bill 2013: A Citizen's Draft

by Bhairav Acharya — last modified Apr 07, 2013 01:00 PM

The Centre for Internet and Society has been researching privacy in India since 2010 with the objective of raising public awareness around privacy, completing in depth research, and driving a privacy legislation in India. As part of this work, Bhairav Acharya has drafted the Privacy (Protection) Bill 2013.

The Privacy (Protection) Bill 2013: A Citizen's Draft - Read More…

Human DNA Profiling Bill 2012 Analysis

by Jeremy Gruber — last modified Mar 19, 2013 05:53 PM

Jeremy Gruber from the Council for Responsible Genetics, US provides an analysis of the Human DNA Profiling Bill, 2012. He says that India’s updated 2012 Human DNA Profiling Bill offers largely superficial changes from its predecessor, the Draft DNA Profiling Bill, 2007.

Human DNA Profiling Bill 2012 Analysis - Read More…

Workshop on the Unique Identity Number (UID), the National Population Register (NPR) and Governance: What will happen to our data?

Workshop on the Unique Identity Number (UID), the National Population Register (NPR) and Governance: What will happen to our data?

by Maria Xynou — last modified Mar 18, 2013 02:22 PM

On March 2nd, 2013, the Centre for Internet and Society and the Say No to UID campaign organized a workshop to discuss the present state of the UID and NPR schemes. Some of the questions which were addressed included ´How do the UID and NPR impact citizenship´, ´Why and how is national security linked to UID/NPR´, and ´What is the relationship between UID and Big Data´.

Workshop on the Unique Identity Number (UID), the National Population Register (NPR) and Governance: What will happen to our data? - Read More…

Hacking without borders: The future of artificial intelligence and surveillance

Hacking without borders: The future of artificial intelligence and surveillance

by Maria Xynou — last modified Mar 15, 2013 07:28 PM

In this post, Maria Xynou looks at some of DARPA´s artificial intelligence surveillance technologies in regards to the right to privacy and their potential future use in India.

Hacking without borders: The future of artificial intelligence and surveillance - Read More…

A Comparison of the Draft DNA Profiling Bill 2007 and the Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill 2012

A Comparison of the Draft DNA Profiling Bill 2007 and the Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill 2012

by Maria Xynou — last modified Mar 15, 2013 03:23 PM

In this post, Maria Xynou gives us a comparison of the Draft DNA Profiling Bill 2007 and the Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill 2012.

A Comparison of the Draft DNA Profiling Bill 2007 and the Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill 2012 - Read More…

Summary of the CIS workshop on the Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill 2012

Summary of the CIS workshop on the Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill 2012

by Maria Xynou — last modified Mar 15, 2013 03:51 PM

On March 1st, 2013, the Centre for Internet and Society organized a workshop which analysed the April 2012 draft Human DNA Profiling Bill and its potential implications on human rights in India.

Summary of the CIS workshop on the Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill 2012 - Read More…

Unique Identification Scheme (UID) & National Population Register (NPR), and Governance

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 15, 2013 06:31 PM

This post examines the UID, NPR and Governance as it exists in India. The background note gives a summary of what is the NPR, the legal grounding of NPR, its objectives, and the information which could be collected under the NPR. The post also throws light on the UID, its objectives, process of enrollment in UID, how UID is being adopted by different states in India, and finally the differences and controversies in UID and NPR.

Unique Identification Scheme (UID) & National Population Register (NPR), and Governance - Read More…

Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill (April 2012): High Level Concerns

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 12, 2013 04:53 PM

In 2007 the Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill was piloted by the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, with the objective of regulating the use of DNA for forensic and other purposes. In February 2012 another draft of the Bill was leaked. The February 2012 Bill was drafted by the Department of Biotechnology. Another working draft of the Bill was created in April 2012. The most recent version of the Bill seeks to create DNA databases at the state, regional, and national level.

Draft Human DNA Profiling Bill (April 2012): High Level Concerns - Read More…

An Introduction to Bitfilm & Bitcoin in Bangalore, India

An Introduction to Bitfilm & Bitcoin in Bangalore, India

by Benson Samuel — last modified Mar 12, 2013 01:58 PM

An event at the Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) was organized on January 23, 2013. The all star team at CIS was awesome at organizing this event for Bitcoin. Live streaming, mainstream newspaper coverage and Twitter based Q&A made this the first Bitcoin event in India that leveraged these mediums of information transfer.

An Introduction to Bitfilm & Bitcoin in Bangalore, India - Read More…

Don’t SLAPP free speech

Don’t SLAPP free speech

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Feb 28, 2013 07:22 PM

IIPM is proving adept at the tactical use of lawsuits to stifle criticism, despite safeguards. THE DEPARTMENT of Telecommunications, on 14 February, issued orders to block certain web pages critical of the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM).

Don’t SLAPP free speech - Read More…

Women in the IT Industry: Request for Data

by Jadine Lannon — last modified Mar 06, 2013 06:52 PM

For CIS's research on indicators of female economic empowerment in the IT industry in India, we have sent formal request for participation in a short survey to the six largest IT companies based in India. A copy of the letter of request and survey as well as some details of the request for data can be found in this post.

Women in the IT Industry: Request for Data - Read More…

Research Initiative: Women in India's IT Industry

by Jadine Lannon — last modified Mar 06, 2013 06:31 PM

CIS has begun a brief research project which will examine indicators of female economic empowerment in the IT industry in India. Though the gathering of quantitative and qualitative data from the six largest publicly-traded Indian software companies, we hope to provide insight into state of female employment in one of the most important and rapidly growing economic sectors in the country.

Research Initiative: Women in India's IT Industry - Read More…

BigDog is Watching You! The Sci-fi Future of Animal and Insect Drones

BigDog is Watching You! The Sci-fi Future of Animal and Insect Drones

by Maria Xynou — last modified May 07, 2013 09:00 PM

Do you think robotic aeroplanes monitoring us are scary enough? Wait until you read about DARPA´s new innovative and subtle way to keep us all under the microscope! This blog post presents a new reality of drones which is depicted in none other than animal and insect-like robots, equipped with cameras and other surveillance technologies.

BigDog is Watching You! The Sci-fi Future of Animal and Insect Drones - Read More…

Surveillance Camp IV: Disproportionate State Surveillance - A Violation of Privacy

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Feb 19, 2013 08:37 PM

This is the fourth in a series of posts mapping global surveillance challenges discussed at EFF's State Surveillance and Human Rights Camp in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This article has been co-written with Elonnai Hickok — Centre for Internet and Society India, and a speaker at EFF's Camp.

Surveillance Camp IV: Disproportionate State Surveillance - A Violation of Privacy - Read More…

The Omnishambles of UID, shrouded in its RTI opacity

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Feb 19, 2013 07:04 PM

The Centre for Internet & Society sponsored Colonel Mathew Thomas to hold a workshop at the fourth National Right to Information (RTI) organized by the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, held in Hyderabad from February 15 to 18, 2013.

The Omnishambles of UID, shrouded in its RTI opacity - Read More…

Freedom of Expression Gagged

Freedom of Expression Gagged

by Chinmayi Arun — last modified Feb 18, 2013 04:55 PM

The use of law to bully people into silence, called ‘heckler’s veto’, is not unique to India, writes Chinmayi Arun in this op-ed published in Business Line on February 15, 2013.

Freedom of Expression Gagged - Read More…

Analyzing the Latest List of Blocked URLs by Department of Telecommunications (IIPM Edition)

Analyzing the Latest List of Blocked URLs by Department of Telecommunications (IIPM Edition)

by Snehashish Ghosh — last modified Feb 17, 2013 03:35 PM

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.

Analyzing the Latest List of Blocked URLs by Department of Telecommunications (IIPM Edition) - Read More…

A Comparison of Indian Legislation to Draft International Principles on Surveillance of Communications

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Feb 05, 2013 01:51 PM

This blog post is a comparison of the relevant Indian legislations allowing governmental access to communications and the Draft International Principles on Surveillance of Communications. The principles, first drafted in October 2012 and developed subsequently seeks to establish an international standard for surveillance of communications in the context of human rights.

A Comparison of Indian Legislation to Draft International Principles on Surveillance of Communications - Read More…

Data Retention in India

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Jan 30, 2013 01:36 PM

As part of its privacy research, the Centre for Internet and Society has been researching upon data retention mandates from the Government of India and data retention practices by service providers. Globally, data retention has become a contested practice with regards to privacy, as many governments require service providers to retain more data for extensive time periods, for security purposes. Many argue that the scope of the retention is becoming disproportional to the purpose of investigating crimes.

Data Retention in India - Read More…

Five Frequently Asked Questions about the Amended ITRs

by Chinmayi Arun — last modified Jan 30, 2013 01:36 PM

This piece discusses the five major questions that have been the subject of debate after the World Conference on International Telecommunications 2012 (WCIT). The politics surrounding the WCIT are not discussed here but it must be kept in mind that they have played a significant role in the outcome of the conference and in some of the debates about it.

Five Frequently Asked Questions about the Amended ITRs - Read More…

TV versus Social Media: The Rights and Wrongs

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Jan 21, 2013 11:09 AM

For most ordinary Netizens, everyday speech on social media has as much impact as graffiti in a toilet, and therefore employing the 'principle of equivalence' will result in overregulation of new media.

TV versus Social Media: The Rights and Wrongs - Read More…

Web of Sameness

Web of Sameness

by Nishant Shah — last modified Jan 18, 2013 02:17 PM

The social Web has been an ominous space at the start of 2013. It has been awash with horror, pain and grief. The recent gang rape and death of a medical student in Delhi prevents one from being too optimistic about the year to come. My live feeds on various social networks are filled with rue and rage at the gruesome incident and the seeming depravity of our society.

Web of Sameness - Read More…

Draft International Principles on Communications Surveillance and Human Rights

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Jan 16, 2013 12:38 PM

These principles were developed by Privacy International and the Electronic Frontier Foundation and seek to define an international standard for the surveillance of communications. The Centre for Internet and Society has been contributing feedback to the principles.

Draft International Principles on Communications Surveillance and Human Rights - Read More…

Statement of Solidarity on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Internet Users in Bangladesh

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Jan 15, 2013 07:51 PM

This is a statement on the violent attack on blogger Asif Mohiuddin by the participants to the Third South Asian Meeting on the Internet and Freedom of Expression that took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on January 14–15, 2013.

Statement of Solidarity on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Internet Users in Bangladesh - Read More…

No Civil Society Members in the Cyber Regulations Advisory Committee

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Jan 10, 2013 01:56 AM

The Government of India has taken our advice and reconstituted the Cyber Regulations Advisory Commitee. But there is no representation of Internet users, citizens, and consumers — only government and industry interests.

No Civil Society Members in the Cyber Regulations Advisory Committee - Read More…

Mining the Web Collective

by Sharath Chandra Ram — last modified Jan 07, 2013 07:48 AM

In March 2012, Dr Bruno Latour and his team from the Sciences Po Media Lab organized a workshop that assembled a selected group of researchers from India to explore methods of Controversy Mapping. It was hosted by Dr J. Srinivasan, Director of the Divecha Centre for Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.

Mining the Web Collective - Read More…

State Surveillance and Human Rights Camp: Summary

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Jan 04, 2013 09:01 PM

On December 13 and 14, 2012, the Electronic Frontier Foundation organized the Surveillance and Human Rights Camp held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The meeting examined trends in surveillance, reasons for state surveillance, surveillance tactics that governments are using, and safeguards that can be put in place to protect against unlawful or disproportionate surveillance.

State Surveillance and Human Rights Camp: Summary - Read More…

Tomorrow, Today

by Nishant Shah — last modified Jan 02, 2013 01:00 PM

Our present is the future that our past had imagined. Around the same time last year, I remember taking stock of the technologies that we live with and wondering what 2012 would bring in.

Tomorrow, Today - Read More…

Internet-driven Developments — Structural Changes and Tipping Points

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Dec 28, 2012 11:34 PM

A symposium on Internet Driven Developments: Structural Changes and Tipping Points was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Harvard University from December 6 to 8, 2012. The symposium was sponsored by the Ford Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation and was hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society. In this blog post, I summarize the discussions that took place over the two days and add my own personal reflections on the issues.

Internet-driven Developments — Structural Changes and Tipping Points - Read More…

The Trouble with Hurried Solutions

The Trouble with Hurried Solutions

by Chinmayi Arun — last modified Dec 20, 2012 12:23 PM

The World Conference on International Telecommunication showed that countries are not yet ready to arrive at a consensus on regulation and control of the Internet

The Trouble with Hurried Solutions - Read More…

The Worldwide Web of Concerns

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 27, 2012 12:31 PM

The Intern­ati­onal Telec­om­munication Union’s World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) is currently under way in Dubai, after a gap of 25 years. At this conference, the Inter-national Teleco­mmunication Regulations — a binding treaty containing high-level principles — are to be revised.

The Worldwide Web of Concerns - Read More…

The Worldwide Web of Concerns

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 10, 2012 01:10 PM

The threat of a ‘UN takeover’ of the Internet through the WCIT is non-existent. However, that does not mean that activists have been crying themselves hoarse in vain.

The Worldwide Web of Concerns - Read More…

Online Censorship: How Government should Approach Regulation of Speech

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Dec 05, 2012 03:06 PM

Why is there a constant brouhaha in India about online censorship? What must be done to address this?

Online Censorship: How Government should Approach Regulation of Speech - Read More…

Comments on the Proposed Rule 138A of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 Concerning Radio Frequency Identification Tags

by Bhairav Acharya — last modified Dec 04, 2012 11:32 PM

The Centre for Internet & Society gave its comments on the proposed Rule 138A of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. The comments were made in response to Notification GSR 738(E) published in the Gazette of India on October 3, 2012.

Comments on the Proposed Rule 138A of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 Concerning Radio Frequency Identification Tags - Read More…

Section 66-A, Information Technology Act, 2000: Cases

by Snehashish Ghosh — last modified Dec 06, 2012 05:20 PM

In this blog post Snehashish Ghosh summarizes the facts of a few cases where Section 66-A, Information Technology Act, 2000, has been mentioned or discussed.

Section 66-A, Information Technology Act, 2000: Cases - Read More…

Transcripts from WCIT-12

by Snehashish Ghosh — last modified Dec 03, 2012 10:00 PM

We are archiving copies of the live-transcripts from the World Conference on International Telecommunications, 2012 (WCIT-12) which is being held in Dubai from 3–14 December, 2012.

Transcripts from WCIT-12 - Read More…

So Much to Lose

So Much to Lose

by Nishant Shah — last modified Dec 08, 2012 12:39 AM

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you have been a witness to the maelstrom of events that accompanied the death of the political leader Bal Thackeray.

So Much to Lose - Read More…

Fixing India’s anarchic IT Act

Fixing India’s anarchic IT Act

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Nov 30, 2012 02:33 PM

Section 66A of the Information Technology (IT) Act criminalizes “causing annoyance or inconvenience” online, among other things. A conviction for such an offence can attract a prison sentence of as many as three years.

Fixing India’s anarchic IT Act - Read More…

Breaking Down Section 66A of the IT Act

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 14, 2012 05:51 PM

Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, which prescribes 'punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc.' is widely held by lawyers and legal academics to be unconstitutional. In this post Pranesh Prakash explores why that section is unconstitutional, how it came to be, the state of the law elsewhere, and how we can move forward.

Breaking Down Section 66A of the IT Act - Read More…

Draft nonsense

Draft nonsense

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 03, 2012 05:08 PM

Seriously flawed and dodgily drafted provisions in the IT Act provide the state a stick to beat its citizens with.

Draft nonsense - Read More…

DoT Blocks Domain Sites — But Reasons and Authority Unclear

by Smitha Krishna Prasad — last modified Nov 21, 2012 06:03 PM

Earlier this year, ISPs such as Airtel and MTNL blocked a number of domain sites including BuyDomains, Fabulous Domains and Sedo.co.uk. Whereas the Indian Government and courts have previously issued orders blocking websites, these actions have generally been attributed to issues such as posting of inflammatory content or piracy of copyrighted material. However, the reasoning behind blocking domain marketplaces such as the above mentioned sites is not clear.

DoT Blocks Domain Sites — But Reasons and Authority Unclear - Read More…

Arbitrary Arrests for Comment on Bal Thackeray's Death

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Jan 02, 2013 11:42 AM

Two girls have been arbitrarily and unlawfully arrested for making comments about the late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's death. Pranesh Prakash explores the legal angles to the arrests.

Arbitrary Arrests for Comment on Bal Thackeray's Death - Read More…

Will The International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) Impact Internet Governance? A Multistakeholder Perspective

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 10, 2012 12:40 PM

Pranesh Prakash made a presentation at the India Internet Governance Conference (IIGC) held at the FICCI, Federation House, Tansen Marg, New Delhi on October 4 and 5, 2012. The event was organised by the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, FICCI and Internet Society. CIS was one of the supporting organisations.

Will The International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) Impact Internet Governance? A Multistakeholder Perspective - Read More…

Statement of Civil Society Members and Groups Participating in the "Best Bits" pre-IGF meeting at Baku in 2012

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 07, 2012 04:06 PM

The Centre for Internet & Society was one of the signatories for this submission made to the ITU on November 16, 2012.

Statement of Civil Society Members and Groups Participating in the "Best Bits" pre-IGF meeting at Baku in 2012 - Read More…

Q&A to the Report of the Group of Experts on Privacy

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Nov 09, 2012 06:20 PM

In January 2012 Justice A.P. Shah formed a committee consisting of a group of experts to contribute to and create a report of recommendations for a privacy legislation in India. The committee met a total of seven times from January to September 2012. The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) was a member of the committee creating the report. This blog post is CIS’s attempt to answer questions that have arisen from media coverage on the report, based on our understanding.

Q&A to the Report of the Group of Experts on Privacy - Read More…

Indian Government's Submission to ITU

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 09, 2012 08:48 AM

The following is the text of the submission made by the Government of India to the World Conference of International Telecommunications, Dubai on November 3, 2012. This is the final version of a draft that was circulated earlier.

Indian Government's Submission to ITU - Read More…

Submission on India's Draft Comments on Proposed Changes to the ITU's ITRs

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 07, 2012 12:15 PM

Given below are the responses from the representatives of civil society in India (The Society for Knowledge Commons, Centre for Internet & Society, The Delhi Science Forum, Free Software Movement of India, Internet Democracy Project and Media for Change) to the Government of India's proposals for the upcoming WCIT meeting, in December 2012, in Dubai.

Submission on India's Draft Comments on Proposed Changes to the ITU's ITRs - Read More…

Submission by Indian Civil Society Organisations on Proposals for the Future ITRs and Related Processes

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 07, 2012 04:00 PM

The Centre for Internet & Society was one of the signatories of this submission which was sent in November 2012, in response to the International Telecommunication Union's call for public comments in relation to the revision of International Telecommunication Regulations that are to take place at the ITU's World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai from December 3 to 14, 2012.

Submission by Indian Civil Society Organisations on Proposals for the Future ITRs and Related Processes - Read More…

Rethinking DNA Profiling in India

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Oct 29, 2012 04:00 PM

DNA profile databases can be useful tools in solving crime, but given that the DNA profile of a person can reveal very personal information about the individual, including medical history, family history and so on, a more comprehensive legislation regulating the collection, use, analysis and storage of DNA samples needs included in the draft Human DNA Profiling Bill.

Rethinking DNA Profiling in India - Read More…

Privacy Perspectives on the 2012 -2013 Goa Beach Shack Policy

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Oct 25, 2012 06:23 PM

CCTVs in India are increasingly being employed by private organizations and the government in India as a way to increase security and prevent/ deter crime from taking place. When the government mandates the use of CCTV’s for this purpose, it often does so by means of a blunt policy mandate, requiring the installation of CCTV systems, but without any further clarification as to who should oversee the use of the cameras, what bodies should have access to the records, how access should be granted or obtained, and how long the recordings should be retained.

Privacy Perspectives on the 2012 -2013 Goa Beach Shack Policy - Read More…

A Public Meeting on DNA Profiling Bill in Delhi

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Oct 10, 2012 06:58 PM

On September 27, 2012, the Centre for Internet and Society hosted a public talk at the Indian International Centre focused on the draft DNA Profiling Bill. Presenting at the meeting were international experts Dr. Helen Wallace, director of GeneWatch UK and Jeremy Gruber, president and executive director of the Council for Responsible Genetics US, and Dr. Anupuma Raina, senior scientist at AIIMs.

A Public Meeting on DNA Profiling Bill in Delhi - Read More…

Analysing Latest List of Blocked Sites (Communalism & Rioting Edition)

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Sep 06, 2012 07:52 PM

Pranesh Prakash does preliminary analysis on a leaked list of the websites blocked from August 18, 2012 till August 21, 2012 by the Indian government.

Analysing Latest List of Blocked Sites (Communalism & Rioting Edition) - Read More…

Privacy Matters — Medical Privacy

Privacy Matters — Medical Privacy

by Natasha Vaz — last modified Jul 10, 2012 09:41 PM

On June 30, 2012, Privacy India in partnership with the Indian Network for People living with HIV/AIDS, Centre for Internet & Society, IDRC, Society in Action Group, with support from London-based Privacy International, held a public discussion on "Medical Privacy" at the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration.

Privacy Matters — Medical Privacy - Read More…

India's Broken Internet Laws Need a Shot of Multi-stakeholderism

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Apr 26, 2012 09:45 PM

Cyber-laws in India are severely flawed, with neither lawyers nor technologists being able to understand them, and the Cyber-Law Group in DEIT being incapable of framing fair, just, and informed laws and policies. Pranesh Prakash suggests they learn from the DEIT's Internet Governance Division, and Brazil, and adopt multi-stakeholderism as a core principle of Internet policy-making.

India's Broken Internet Laws Need a Shot of Multi-stakeholderism - Read More…

Statutory Motion Against Intermediary Guidelines Rules

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Apr 03, 2012 05:35 PM

Rajya Sabha MP, Shri P. Rajeev has moved a motion that the much-criticised Intermediary Guidelines Rules be annulled.

Statutory Motion Against Intermediary Guidelines Rules - Read More…

How India Makes E-books Easier to Ban than Books (And How We Can Change That)

How India Makes E-books Easier to Ban than Books (And How We Can Change That)

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Feb 21, 2012 07:50 PM

Without getting into questions of what should and should not be unlawful speech, Pranesh Prakash chooses to take a look at how Indian law promotes arbitrary removal and blocking of websites, website content, and online services, and how it makes it much easier than getting offline printed speech removed.

How India Makes E-books Easier to Ban than Books (And How We Can Change That) - Read More…

Press Coverage of Online Censorship Row

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 08, 2011 07:31 PM

We are maintaining a rolling blog with press references to the row created by the proposal by the Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology to pre-screen user-generated Internet content.

Press Coverage of Online Censorship Row - Read More…

India's Statement Proposing UN Committee for Internet-Related Policy

India's Statement Proposing UN Committee for Internet-Related Policy

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Oct 31, 2011 11:28 PM

This is the statement made by India at the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in which its proposal for the UN Committee for Internet-Related Policy was presented.

India's Statement Proposing UN Committee for Internet-Related Policy - Read More…

Analysis of DIT's Response to Second RTI on Website Blocking

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 02, 2011 05:26 PM

In this blog post, Pranesh Prakash briefly analyses the DIT's response to an RTI request on website blocking alongside the most recent edition of Google's Transparency Report, and what it tells us about the online censorship regime in India.

Analysis of DIT's Response to Second RTI on Website Blocking - Read More…

Sixth Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, Nairobi: A Summary

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Oct 24, 2011 05:09 PM

The sixth annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum was held from 27 to 30 September 2011 at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya. Sunil Abraham participated in six workshops: Privacy, Security, and Access to Rights: A Technical and Policy Analyses, Use of Digital Technologies for Civic Engagement and Political Change: Lessons Learned and Way Forward, The Impact of Regulation: FOSS and Enterprise, Proprietary Influences in Free and Open Source Software: Lessons to Open and Universal Internet Standards, Access and Diversity of Broadband Internet Access and Putting Users First: How Can Privacy be Protected in Today’s Complex Mobile Ecosystem?

Sixth Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, Nairobi: A Summary - Read More…

Design!Public II in Bangalore ― Event Report

by Yelena Gyulkhandanyan — last modified Oct 20, 2011 04:48 PM

Design Public, a high-level conclave on innovation, took place in Bangalore at the National Gallery for Modern Art on October 14, 2011. The event was organized by the Centre for Knowledge Societies in collaboration with the Centre for Internet and Society, the Centre for Law and Policy Research, Mint, and others. The conclave brought together industry experts, scholars, and activists to create a dialogue about design and innovation in the public interest. This blog post captures the developments as it happened on this day.

Design!Public II in Bangalore ― Event Report - Read More…

SCOSTA and UID Comparison not Valid, says Finance Committee

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Nov 23, 2011 12:37 AM

The Standing Committee on Finance Branch, Lok Sabha Secretariat has responded to the suggestions offered by CIS on the National Identification Authority of India, Bill 2010 and has requested it to mail its views by 14 October 2011.

SCOSTA and UID Comparison not Valid, says Finance Committee - Read More…

Seventh Open Letter to the Finance Committee: A Note on the Deduplication of Unique Identifiers

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Nov 22, 2011 03:28 PM

Sahana Sarkar on behalf of the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) had sent in a Right to Information application on 30 June 2011 to Ashish Kumar, Central Public Information Officer, UIDAI. The UIDAI sent in its reply. Through the seventh open letter, Hans attempts to characterize in an abstract way the replies that CIS managed to elicit and makes some elementary observations.

Seventh Open Letter to the Finance Committee: A Note on the Deduplication of Unique Identifiers - Read More…

UID: Questions without Answers – A Talk by Usha Ramanathan

by Natasha Vaz — last modified Nov 24, 2011 12:41 PM

UID enrolment is in full swing, providing an official identification to millions of Indians, yet there are numerous unanswered questions. A public talk on UID was held at the Institute of Science, Bangalore on September 6, 2011. Usha Ramanathan, an independent law researcher on jurisprudence, poverty and rights, discussed the questions that plague the UID project and the veil of silence enveloping the answers.

UID: Questions without Answers – A Talk by Usha Ramanathan - Read More…

Whole Body Imaging and Privacy Concerns that Follow

by Srishti Goyal — last modified Sep 29, 2011 01:38 PM

Law student at the National University of Juridical Sciences, and intern for Privacy India, Srishti Goyal compares, contrasts, and critiques the Whole Body Imaging practices found in the US, the UK, and Australia, and makes recommendations for an Indian regime.

Whole Body Imaging and Privacy Concerns that Follow - Read More…

CCTV in Universities

by Merlin Oommen — last modified Sep 01, 2011 05:50 PM

Basic Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Infrastructure is used to observe movements from a central room, and consists of one or more video cameras that transmit video and audio images to a set of monitors or video recorders.

CCTV in Universities - Read More…

Re-thinking Key Escrow

by Natasha Vaz — last modified Aug 22, 2011 07:44 PM

Would you make duplicates of your house keys and hand them over to the local police authority? And if so, would you feel safe? Naturally, one would protest this invasion of privacy. Similarly, would it be justified for the government to have a copy of the private key to intercept and decrypt communications? This is the idea behind key escrow; it enables government ‘wiretapping’.

Re-thinking Key Escrow - Read More…

UID: Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Fear?

by Shilpa Narani — last modified Sep 28, 2011 07:44 PM

Isn’t it interesting that authorities ask you about your identity and you end up showing your proof of existence! Isn’t this breaching into one’s personal life? Why so much transparency only from the public side? Why can’t the government be equally transparent to the public?, asks Shilpa Narani.

UID: Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Fear? - Read More…

An Overview of DNA Labs in India

by Shilpa Narani — last modified Aug 12, 2012 05:13 PM

DNA fingerprinting has become the most precise and technologically advanced method for identifying crimes such as murder, kidnapping, robbery and rape. Police and judicial authorities and in some cases even private parties retain this in their records, writes Shilpa in this blog post.

An Overview of DNA Labs in India - Read More…

Consumer Privacy in e-Commerce

by Sahana Sarkar — last modified Mar 28, 2012 12:53 PM

Looking at the larger picture of national security versus consumer privacy, Sahana Sarkar says that though consumer privacy is important in the world of digital technology, individuals must put aside some of their civil liberties when it comes to the question of national security, as it is necessary to prevent societal damage.

Consumer Privacy in e-Commerce - Read More…

Video Surveillance and Its Impact on the Right to Privacy

by Vaishnavi Chillakuru — last modified Sep 29, 2011 01:35 PM

The need for video surveillance has grown in this technologically driven era as a mode of law enforcement. Video Surveillance is very useful to governments and law enforcement to maintain social control, recognize and monitor threats, and prevent/investigate criminal activity. In this regard it is pertinent to highlight that not only are governments using this system, but residential communities in certain areas are also using this system to create a safer environment.

Video Surveillance and Its Impact on the Right to Privacy - Read More…

Privacy Matters, Guwahati — Event Report

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Aug 26, 2011 06:31 PM

On June 23, a public seminar on “Privacy Matters” was held at the Don Bosco Institute in Karhulli, Guwahati. It was organised by IDRC, Society in Action Group, IDEA Chirang, an NGO initiative working with grassroots initiatives in Assam, Privacy India and CIS and was attended by RTI activists and grass roots NGO representatives from across the North Eastern region: Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Assam and Sikkim. The event focused on the challenges and concerns of privacy in India.

Privacy Matters, Guwahati — Event Report - Read More…

Right to Privacy Bill 2010 — A Few Comments

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 22, 2012 02:26 PM

Earlier this year, in February 2011, Rajeev Chandrasekhar introduced the Right to Privacy Bill, 2010 in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill is meant to “provide protection to the privacy of persons including those who are in public life”. Though the Bill states that its objective is to protect individuals’ fundamental right to privacy, the focus of the Bill is on the protection against the use of electronic/digital recording devices in public spaces without consent and for the purpose of blackmail or commercial use.

Right to Privacy Bill 2010 — A Few Comments - Read More…

Privacy & Media Law

by Sonal Makhija — last modified Dec 14, 2012 06:26 PM

In her research, Sonal Makhija, a Bangalore-based lawyer, tries to delineate the emerging privacy concerns in India and the existing media norms and guidelines on the right to privacy. The research examines the existing media norms (governed by Press Council of India, the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the Code of Ethics drafted by the News Broadcasting Standard Authority), the constitutional protection guaranteed to an individual’s right to privacy upheld by the courts, and the reasons the State employs to justify the invasion of privacy. The paper further records, both domestic and international, inclusions and exceptions with respect to the infringement of privacy.

Privacy & Media Law - Read More…

When Data Means Privacy, What Traces Are You Leaving Behind?

by Noopur Raval — last modified Nov 24, 2011 05:24 PM

How do you know yourself to be different from others? What defines the daily life that you live and the knowledge you produce in the span of this life? Is all that information yours or are you a mere stakeholder on behalf of the State whose subject you are? What does privacy really mean? In a society that is increasingly relying on information to identify people, collecting and archiving ‘personal’ details of your lives, your name, age, passport details, ration card number, call records etc, how private is your tweet, status update, text message or simply, your restaurant bill?

When Data Means Privacy, What Traces Are You Leaving Behind? - Read More…

My Experiment with Scam Baiting

by Sahana Sarkar — last modified Mar 13, 2012 06:43 PM

Today, as I am sure many of you have experienced, Internet scams are widespread and very deceptive. As part of my research into privacy and the Internet, I decided to follow a scam and attempt to fully understand how Internet scams work, and what privacy implications they have for Internet users. Though there are many different types of scams that take place over the Internet —identity scams, housing scams, banking scams— just to name a few. I decided to look in depth at the lottery scam.

My Experiment with Scam Baiting - Read More…

RTI and Third Party Information: What Constitutes the Private and Public?

by Noopur Raval — last modified Nov 24, 2011 05:21 PM

The passing of the Right to Information Act, 2005 was seen as giving an empowering tool in the hands of the citizens of India, six years post its implementation, loopholes have surfaced with misuse of the many fundamental concepts, which have yet not been defined to allow for a consistent pattern of decisions. Among many problems that emerge with the Act, a major problem is defining the extent to which an individual has access to other people’s information. While most of us tend to think that asking for other people’s phone numbers, personal details like passport number or IT returns are private and would be kept so, under the RTI Act and as seen in the Central Information Commission (CIC) decisions, all of these details can be availed of by someone who doesn’t know you at all!

RTI and Third Party Information: What Constitutes the Private and Public? - Read More…

Privacy and Security Can Co-exist

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:05 PM

The blanket surveillance the Centre seeks is not going to make India more secure, writes Sunil Abraham in this article published in Mail Today on June 21, 2011.

Privacy and Security Can Co-exist - Read More…

Copyright Enforcement and Privacy in India

by Prashant Iyengar — last modified Dec 14, 2012 06:27 PM

Copyright can function contradictorily, as both the vehicle for the preservation of privacy as well as its abuse, writes Prashant Iyengar. The research examines the various ways in which privacy has been implicated in the shifting terrain of copyright enforcement in India and concludes by examining the notion of the private that emerges from a tapestry view of the relevant sections of Copyright Act.

Copyright Enforcement and Privacy in India - Read More…

Snooping Can Lead to Data Abuse

Snooping Can Lead to Data Abuse

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:39 PM

THE NATGRID, aiming to link databases of 21 departments and ministries for better counter-terror measures, adopts blunt policy approach, subjecting every citizen to the same level of blanket surveillance, instead of a targeted approach that intelligently focuses on geographic or demographic areas that are currently important, writes Sunil Abraham in this article published by Mail Today on June 9, 2011.

Snooping Can Lead to Data Abuse - Read More…

The New Right to Privacy Bill 2011 — A Blind Man's View of the Elephunt

by Prashant Iyengar — last modified Feb 29, 2012 01:45 PM

Over the past few days various newspapers have reported the imminent introduction in Parliament, during the upcoming Monsoon session, of a Right to Privacy Bill. Since the text of this bill has not yet been made accessible to the public, this post attempts to grope its way – through guesswork – towards a picture of what the Bill might look like from a combined reading of all the newspaper accounts, writes Prashant Iyengar in this blog post which was posted on the Privacy India website on June 8, 2011.

The New Right to Privacy Bill 2011 — A Blind Man's View of the Elephunt - Read More…

Do You Want to be Watched?

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:11 PM

The new rules under the IT Act are an assault on our freedom, says Sunil Abraham in this article published in Pragati on June 8, 2011.

Do You Want to be Watched? - Read More…

The Digital is Political

by Nishant Shah — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:14 PM

Technologies are not just agents of politics, there is politics in their design, writes Nishant Shah in this article published in Down to Earth in the Issue of June 15, 2011.

The Digital is Political - Read More…

Say 'Password' in Hindi

by Nishant Shah — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:18 PM

English might be the language of the online world, but it’s time other languages had their say, writes Nishant Shah. The article was published in the Indian Express on June 5, 2011.

Say 'Password' in Hindi - Read More…

A Street View of Private and the Public

by Prashant Iyengar — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:34 PM

Prashant Iyengar on how in the eyes of the law, the internet giant is like the homeless in India. This article was published by Tehelka on June 4, 2011.

A Street View of Private and the Public - Read More…

Bloggers' Rights Subordinated to Rights of Expression: Cyber Law Expert

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:35 PM

Vijayashankar, an eminent cyber law expert answers Elonnai Hickok’s questions on bloggers' rights, freedom of expression and privacy in this e-mail interview conducted on May 19, 2011.

Bloggers' Rights Subordinated to Rights of Expression: Cyber Law Expert - Read More…

Big Brother is Watching You

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:32 PM

The government is massively expanding its surveillance power over law-abiding citizens and businesses, says Sunil Abraham in this article published by the Deccan Herald on June 1, 2011.

Big Brother is Watching You - Read More…

The Present — and Future — Dangers of India's Draconian New Internet Regulations

by Anja Kovacs — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:22 PM

The uproar surrounding India's Internet Control Rules makes clear that in the Internet age, as before, the active chilling of freedom of expression by the state is unacceptable in a democracy. Yet if India's old censorship regimes are to be maintained in this new context, the state will have little choice but to do just that. Are we ready to rethink the ways in which we deal with free speech and censorship as a society? Asks Anja Kovacs in this article, published in Caravan, 1 June 2011.

The Present — and Future — Dangers of India's Draconian New Internet Regulations - Read More…

Killing the Internet Softly with Its Rules

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Aug 20, 2011 08:51 PM

While regulation of the Internet is a necessity, the Department of IT, through recent Rules under the IT Act, is guilty of over-regulation. This over-regulation is not only a bad idea, but is unconstitutional, and gravely endangers freedom of speech and privacy online.

Killing the Internet Softly with Its Rules - Read More…

Power to the People

by Nishant Shah — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:35 PM

The digital revolution has helped make NGOs and civil society more influential, independent and transparent, writes Nishant Shah in this article published in the Indian Express on Sunday, May 15, 2011.

Power to the People - Read More…

Rebuttal of DIT's Misleading Statements on New Internet Rules

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Jul 11, 2012 09:18 PM

The press statement issued on May 11 by the Department of Information Technology (DIT) on the furore over the newly-issued rules on 'intermediary due diligence' is misleading and is, in places, plainly false. We are presenting a point-by-point rebuttal of the DIT's claims.

Rebuttal of DIT's Misleading Statements on New Internet Rules - Read More…

Limits to Privacy

by Prashant Iyengar — last modified Dec 14, 2012 06:28 PM

In his research article, Prashant Iyengar examines the limits to privacy for individuals in light of the provisions of the Constitution of India, public interest, security of state and maintenance of law and order. The article attempts to build a catalogue of all these justifications and arrive at a classification of all such frequently used terms invoked in statutes and upheld by courts to deprive persons of their privacy.

Limits to Privacy - Read More…

Privacy By Design — Conference Report

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Aug 22, 2011 08:03 PM

How do we imagine privacy? How is privacy being built into technological systems? On April 16th,The Center for Internet and Society hosted Privacy by Design, an Open Space meant to answer these questions and more around the topic of privacy. Below is a summary of the conversations and dialogs from the event.

Privacy By Design — Conference Report - Read More…

CDT Provides Answers to Questions on Internet Neutrality

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Jun 04, 2012 01:56 PM

Pranesh Prakash of CIS asked David Sohn of CDT a few pointed questions on the emerging hot topic of 'Internet neutrality', and received very useful responses. Those questions and Mr. Sohn's responses are documented in this blog post.

CDT Provides Answers to Questions on Internet Neutrality - Read More…

The DNA Profiling Bill 2007 and Privacy

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:40 PM

In 2007 a bill known as the Draft DNA Profiling Bill was piloted by the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, an autonomous organization funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. The below is a background to DNA collection/analysis in India, and a critique of the Bill a from a privacy perspective.

The DNA Profiling Bill 2007 and Privacy - Read More…

An Interview with Activist Shubha Chacko: Privacy and Sex Workers

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 28, 2012 02:26 PM

On February 20th I had the opportunity to speak with Shubha Chacko on privacy and sex workers. Ms. Chacko is an activist who works for Aneka, an NGO based in Bangalore, which fights for the human rights of sexual minorities. In my interview with Ms. Chacko I tried to understand how privacy impacts the lives of sex workers in India. The below is an account of our conversation.

An Interview with Activist Shubha Chacko: Privacy and Sex Workers - Read More…

We are anonymous, we are legion

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:38 PM

Online anonymity is vital for creativity and entrepreneurship on the Web, writes Sunil Abraham. The article was published in the Hindu on April 18, 2011.

We are anonymous, we are legion - Read More…

You Have the Right to Remain Silent

by Anja Kovacs — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:55 PM

India has a long history of censorship that it justifies in the name of national security. But new laws governing the Internet are unreasonable and — given the multitude of online voices — poorly thought out, argues Anja Kovacs in this article published in the Sunday Guardian on 17 April 2011.

You Have the Right to Remain Silent - Read More…

Iraq Delegation to Visit India for Study of E-Governance in Indian Cities ― Meetings in Bangalore and Delhi

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:13 PM

An Iraqi Government delegation headed by HE Mr. Abdul Kareem Al-Samarai, Minister of Science & Technology, Government of Iraq will be in India on a e-governance tour. The study tour is organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

Iraq Delegation to Visit India for Study of E-Governance in Indian Cities ― Meetings in Bangalore and Delhi - Read More…

Privacy and the Information Technology Act — Do we have the Safeguards for Electronic Privacy?

by Prashant Iyengar — last modified Dec 14, 2012 06:29 PM

How do the provisions of the Information Technology Act measure up to the challenges of privacy infringement? Does it provide an adequate and useful safeguard for our electronic privacy? Prashant Iyengar gives a comprehensive analysis on whether and how the Act fulfils the challenges and needs through a series of FAQs while drawing upon real life examples.

Privacy and the Information Technology Act — Do we have the Safeguards for Electronic Privacy? - Read More…

DIT's Response to RTI on Website Blocking

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:13 PM

For the first time in India, we have a list of websites that are blocked by order of the Indian government. This data was received from the Department of Information Technology in response to an RTI that CIS filed. Pranesh Prakash of CIS analyzes the implications of these blocks, as well as the shortcomings of the DIT's response.

DIT's Response to RTI on Website Blocking - Read More…

Is Data Protection Enough?

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 22, 2012 01:28 PM

The following note looks briefly at different sides of the privacy debate, and asks the question whether a Data Protection law is enough privacy protection for India.

Is Data Protection Enough? - Read More…

Surveillance Technologies

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 22, 2012 01:40 PM

The following post briefly looks at different surveillance technologies, and the growing use of the them in India.

Surveillance Technologies - Read More…

Encryption Standards and Practices

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 22, 2012 01:39 PM

The below note looks at different types of encryption, varying practices of encryption in India, and the relationship between encryption, data security, and national security.

Encryption Standards and Practices - Read More…

'Privacy Matters', Ahmedabad: Conference Report

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Apr 04, 2011 12:45 PM

On 26 March 2011, civil society, lawyers, judges, students and NGO’s, gathered together at the Ahmedabad Management Association to take part in 'Privacy Matters' – a public conference organised by Privacy India in partnership with IDRC and Research Foundation for Governance in India (RFGI) — to discuss the challenges of privacy in India, with an emphasis on national security and privacy. The conference was opened by Prashant Iyengar, head researcher at Privacy India and Kanan Drhu, director of RFGI. Mr. Iyengar explained Privacy India’s mandate to raise awareness of privacy, spark civil action, and promote democratic dialogue around privacy challenges and violations in India. RFGI is a think tank established in 2009 which aims to research, promote, and implement various reforms to improve the legal and political process in Gujarat and across India. ‘Privacy Matters – Ahmedabad’ is the third conference out of the eight that Privacy India will be hosting across India. The next conference will take place in Hyderabad on 9 April 2011. It will focus on human rights and privacy.

'Privacy Matters', Ahmedabad: Conference Report - Read More…

News Broadcasting Standards Authority censures TV9 over privacy violations!

by Prashant Iyengar — last modified Mar 22, 2012 01:14 PM

We at PrivacyIndia/CIS are delighted by the recent order issued by the News Broadcasting Standards Authority(NBSA) which slapped a 1 lakh rupee fine on the news channel TV9 for airing an extremely incendiary and invasive programme titled "Gay Culture rampant in Hyderabad".

News Broadcasting Standards Authority censures TV9 over privacy violations! - Read More…

A Stolen Perspective

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:43 PM

The note below is a perspective piece on biometrics. On March 11th I traveled down to the Philippines, and had a chance to experience the possible convenience of biometric based identification.

A Stolen Perspective - Read More…

The Draft Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, 2011 – Comments by CIS

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:37 PM

The Draft Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, 2011 (“Bill”) is a Bill to provide for delivery of government services manadatorily through electronic means by phasing out manual delivery of services. It is heartening to note that the Bill shifts the approach to electronic delivery of services by Government agencies to one as part of the citizens' right to service delivery through electronic means rather than a luxury or benefit doled out by the Government. The Bill introduces bodies exclusively accountable for ensuring that electronic delivery of services by the Government at the state and central levels. While this is a welcome move on the part of the Government there are a few comments we, at the Centre for Internet and Society, have on the present version of the Bill:

The Draft Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, 2011 – Comments by CIS - Read More…

Policy for Government's Presence in Social Media - Recommendations

by Krithika Dutta Narayana — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:37 PM

In pursuance of the Office Memorandum issued by the DIT dated March 4, 2011, the e-Governance Group of the DIT, convened on March 23, 2011, the first meeting of an exclusive group to propose guidelines for government presence on social networking and social media sites. The Centre for Internet and Society being one of the invitees to the meeting, has submitted its recommendations for a Policy for the Government's presence in social networking and social media sites.

Policy for Government's Presence in Social Media - Recommendations - Read More…

Privacy and Governmental Databases

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 22, 2012 01:41 PM

In our research we have found that most government databases are incrementally designed in response to developments and improvements that need to be incorporated from time to time. This method of architecting a system leads to a poorly designed database with many privacy risks such as: inaccurate data, incomplete data, inappropriate disclosure of data, inappropriate access to data, and inappropriate security over data. To address these privacy concerns it is important to analyze the problem that is being addressed from the perspective of potential and planned interoperability with other government databases. Below is a list of problems and recommendations concerning privacy, concerning government databases.

Privacy and Governmental Databases - Read More…

RTI Applications on Blocking of Websites

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Dec 21, 2012 02:34 PM

In recent weeks, an increasing number of incidents have come to light on government-ordered blocking of websites. In one case involving Zone-H.org, it is clear who has ordered the block (a Delhi district court judge, as an interim order), even though the block itself is open to constitutional challenge. In all others cases, including the TypePad case, it is unclear who has ordered the block and why. We at CIS have sent in two right to information requests to find out.

RTI Applications on Blocking of Websites - Read More…

CIS Para-wise Comments on Intermediary Due Diligence Rules, 2011

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Jul 11, 2012 06:27 PM

On February 7th 2011, the Department of Information Technology, MCIT published draft rules on its website (The Information Technology (Due diligence observed by intermediaries guidelines) Rules, 2011) in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 87(2)(zg), read with Section 79(2) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Comments were invited from the public before February 25th 2011. Accordingly, Privacy India and Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore have prepared the following para-wise comments for the Ministry’s consideration.

CIS Para-wise Comments on Intermediary Due Diligence Rules, 2011 - Read More…

CIS Para-wise Comments on Cyber Café Rules, 2011

by Prashant Iyengar — last modified Dec 14, 2012 06:32 PM

On February 7th 2011, the Department of Information Technology, MCIT published draft rules on its website (The Information Technology (Guidelines for Cyber Cafe) Rules, 2011) in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 87(2) (zg), read with Section 79(2) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Comments were invited from the public before February 25th 2011. Accordingly, Privacy India and Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore have prepared the following para wise comments for the Ministry’s consideration.

CIS Para-wise Comments on Cyber Café Rules, 2011 - Read More…

CIS Para-wise Comments on Draft Reasonable Security Practices Rules, 2011

by Prashant Iyengar — last modified Dec 14, 2012 06:32 PM

On February 7th 2011, the Department of Information Technology, MCIT published draft rules on its website (The Information Technology (Reasonable security practices and procedures and sensitive personal information) Rules, 2011) in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 87(2)(ob), read with Section 43A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Comments were invited from the public before February 25th 2011. Accordingly, Privacy India and Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore have prepared the following para-wise comments for the Ministry’s consideration.

CIS Para-wise Comments on Draft Reasonable Security Practices Rules, 2011 - Read More…

Google Policy Fellowship Program: Asia Chapter

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:34 PM

For the ardent followers of free and open Internet and for those who love to debate on technology, media law and Internet-related policy issues, there is some good news. The Centre for Internet and Society, India is conducting a Google Policy Fellowship program this summer!

Google Policy Fellowship Program: Asia Chapter - Read More…

Open Letter to the Finance Committee: UID and Transactions

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Feb 24, 2011 09:35 PM

Since official documentation from the UIDAI is very limited, we assume that data pertaining to transactions would comprise of the Aadhaar number, identifier of the authenticating device, date-time stamp, and approval/rejection/error code. Recording and maintaining of data pertaining to transactions is very important because it increases transparency and accountability through an audit trail. However, storage of such sensitive data creates many privacy risks, because more often than not metadata gives you as much intelligence as raw data.

Open Letter to the Finance Committee: UID and Transactions - Read More…

Open Letter to the Finance Committee: Operational Design

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Feb 17, 2011 06:02 PM

The objective of the UID project is to provide identity infrastructure that is not susceptible to fraud or error. This note highlights parts of the operational design of the project, which are flawed. We plead that each point be taken into consideration and that the design be suitably revised.

Open Letter to the Finance Committee: Operational Design - Read More…

Open Letter to the Finance Committee: UID Budget

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Feb 17, 2011 07:18 PM

This note presents the aspects of the UID project, which have not been considered or incorporated into the UID’s budget. The costs include re-enrollment, loss in human time, and the cost of the audit function.

Open Letter to the Finance Committee: UID Budget - Read More…

Open Letter to the Finance Committe: Biometrics

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Feb 17, 2011 09:12 PM

This note points out the weaknesses inherent in biometrics and the pitfalls in using them. It recommends procedural safeguards that should be adopted by the UID in order to make the use of biometrics more secure and inclusive.

Open Letter to the Finance Committe: Biometrics - Read More…

Open Letter to the Finance Committee: Finance and Security

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Feb 17, 2011 07:57 PM

This note explores the three connections between finance and security and demonstrates the cost implications of operating a centrally designed identity management system as proposed by the UID. In doing so, it shows how the monitoring, storing, and securing of transactional data in a centralized database fall short of meeting the project's objectives of authentication, and thus is an additional cost. Further, it is argued that the blanket monitoring of the transaction database is not an effective method of detecting fraud, and is an expensive component of the project.

Open Letter to the Finance Committee: Finance and Security - Read More…

Conference Report: 'Privacy Matters' Bangalore

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Feb 08, 2011 01:13 PM

On February 5th the 'Privacy Matters" conference was held at the TERI Regional Center in Bangalore. The event was a full day and centered around issues of privacy including: privacy rights of minorities, privacy and open government data, and privacy and identity.

Conference Report: 'Privacy Matters' Bangalore - Read More…

Analysing the Right to Privacy and Dignity with Respect to the UID

by Deva Prasad — last modified Mar 21, 2012 05:54 PM

In the below note, Deva Prasad, LLM Candidate at NLSIU, explores the challenges that the UID project faces from a legal perspective.

Analysing the Right to Privacy and Dignity with Respect to the UID - Read More…

Privacy Matters — Conference Report

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Jan 27, 2011 06:22 PM

A one-day conference on Privacy Matters was held on Sunday, 23 January 2011 at the National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) Law School in Kolkata. This was the first of a series of eleven conferences on ‘privacy’ that Privacy India is scheduled to host in different Indian cities from January to June this year. Members of Parliament, Sri Manoj Bhattacharya from the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Sri Nilotpal Basu from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI (M) spoke in the conference. Students, the civil society and lawyers also participated in it.

Privacy Matters — Conference Report - Read More…

Privacy Matters Conference Agenda

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Jan 14, 2011 07:45 PM

The "Privacy Matters" conference is taking place on Sunday January 23rd, at NUJS Law school at 10:30. It is a full day event that will discuss the challenges and concerns of privacy in India. Below is the agenda for the event. We look forward to your participation and attendance.

Privacy Matters Conference Agenda - Read More…

Jurisdictional Issues in Cyberspace

by Justice S Muralidhar — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:00 PM

This article by Justice S Muralidhar was published in the Indian Journal of Law and Technology, Volume 6, 2010. It explores in detail the jurisdiction of courts when dealing with disputes arising from commercial transactions on the Internet.

Jurisdictional Issues in Cyberspace - Read More…

An Open Letter to the Finance Committee: SCOSTA Standards

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Feb 17, 2011 09:15 PM

The UID Bill has been placed to the Finance Committee for review and approval. Through a series of open letters to the Finance Committee, civil society is asking the committee to take into consideration and change certain aspects of the Bill and the project. The below note compares the SCOSTA standard with the Aadhaar biometric standard, and explains why we believe the SCOSTA standard should replace the Aadhaar biometric standard for the authentication process in the UID scheme.

An Open Letter to the Finance Committee: SCOSTA Standards - Read More…

Does the UID Reflect India?

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 22, 2012 01:45 PM

On December 17th the Campaign for No UID held a press conference and public meeting in Bangalore. Below is a summary and analysis of the events.

Does the UID Reflect India? - Read More…

The Privacy Rights of Whistleblowers

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 22, 2012 01:47 PM

The recent disclosures from Wikileaks have shown that the right to information, whistle-blowing, and privacy are interconnected. This note looks at the different ways in which the three are related, as well as looking at the benefits and drawbacks to Wikileaks in terms of privacy.

The Privacy Rights of Whistleblowers - Read More…

UID & Privacy - A Call for Papers

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:03 PM

Privacy India is inviting individuals to author short papers focused on Unique Identity (UID) and Privacy. Selected candidates will have their papers published on the CIS website, and their transportation and accommodation provided for the “Privacy Matters” conference being held in Kolkata on 22 January 2010.

UID & Privacy - A Call for Papers - Read More…

Should Ratan Tata be Afforded the Right to Privacy?

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:03 PM

The Ratan Tata case has raised many important questions pertaining to privacy. This note looks at a few of those questions, and the debate that centers around them.

Should Ratan Tata be Afforded the Right to Privacy? - Read More…

UID Meeting in Bangalore – A Report

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Jan 04, 2011 04:14 PM

On 23 November 2010 a public meeting was held for the UID in Bangalore. The speakers included B.K Chandrashekar, former Chairman of the Karnataka Legislature Council, Mr. Vidyashankar, Principal Secretary to Government of e-commerce, Sunil Abraham, Executive Director of Centre for Internet and Society, Jude D’Souza, Technology Specialist and Mathew Thomas, Retired Army Officer.

UID Meeting in Bangalore – A Report - Read More…

DSCI Information Security Summit 2010 – A Report

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:04 PM

On 2 and 3 December 2010, the DSCI Information Security Summit 2010 took place in the Trident Hotel, Chennai. The two day summit included a broad spectrum of speakers/panels and topics, ranging from Securing Data & Systems to how to leverage the Cloud. The key speakers were Mr. Gulshan Rai, Director General, CERT-In, DIT, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, Joint Secretary, DoPT, Govt. of India, Mr. Vakul Sharma, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and Dr. Kamlesh Bajaj, CEO, DSCI. Elonnai Hickok attended the summit.

DSCI Information Security Summit 2010 – A Report - Read More…

Public Statement to Final Draft of UID Bill

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 22, 2012 01:48 PM

The final draft of the UID Bill that will be submitted to the Lok Sabha was made public on 8 November 2010. If the Bill is approved by Parliament, it will become a legal legislation in India. The following note contains Civil Society's response to the final draft of the Bill.

Public Statement to Final Draft of UID Bill - Read More…

Consumer Privacy - How to Enforce an Effective Protective Regime?

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:06 PM

In a typical sense, when people think of themselves as consumers, they just think about what they purchase, how they purchase and how they use their purchase. But while doing this exercise we are always exchanging personally identifiable information, and thus our privacy is always at risk. In this blog post, Elonnai Hickok and Prashant Iyengar through a series of questions look through the whole concept of consumer privacy at the national and international levels. By placing a special emphasis on Indian context, this post details the potential avenues of consumer privacy in India and states the important elements that should be kept in mind when trying to find at an effective protective regime for consumer privacy.

Consumer Privacy - How to Enforce an Effective Protective Regime? - Read More…

Privacy and Telecommunications: Do We Have the Safeguards?

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:06 PM

All of you often come across unsolicited and annoying telemarketing calls/ SMS's, prank calls, pestering calls for payment, etc. Do we have any safeguards against them? This blog post takes a look at the various rules and regulations under Indian law to guard our privacy and confidentiality.

Privacy and Telecommunications: Do We Have the Safeguards? - Read More…

Privacy and Banking: Do Indian Banking Standards Provide Enough Privacy Protection?

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:07 PM

Banking is one of the most risky sectors as far as privacy is concerned due to the highly sensitive and personal nature of information which is often exchanged, recorded and retained. Although India has RBI guidelines and legislations to protect data, this blog post looks at the extent of those protections, and what are the areas that still need to be addressed.

Privacy and Banking: Do Indian Banking Standards Provide Enough Privacy Protection? - Read More…

C.I.S Responds to Privacy Approach Paper

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:08 PM

A group of officers was created to develop a framework for a privacy legislation that would balance the need for privacy protection, security, sectoral interests, and respond to the domain legislation on the subject. Shri Rahul Matthan of Tri Legal Services prepared an approach paper for the legal framework for a proposed legislation on privacy. The approach paper is now being circulated for seeking opinions of the group of officers and is also being placed on the website of the Department of Personnel and Training for seeking public views on the subject. The Privacy India team at C.I.S responded to the approach paper and has called for the need for a more detailed study of statutory enforcement models and mechanisms in the creation of a privacy legislation.

C.I.S Responds to Privacy Approach Paper - Read More…

American Bar Association Online Privacy Conference: A Report

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:08 PM

On 10 November 2010, I attended an American Bar Association online conference on 'Regulating Privacy Across Borders in the Digital Age: An Emerging Global Consensus or Vive la Difference'. The panalists addressed many important global privacy challenges and spoke about the changes the EU directive is looking to take.

American Bar Association Online Privacy Conference: A Report - Read More…

Privacy, Free/Open Source, and the Cloud

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 22, 2012 01:50 PM

A look into the questions that arise in concern to privacy and cloud computing, and how open source plays into the picture.

Privacy, Free/Open Source, and the Cloud - Read More…

Privacy Concerns in Whole Body Imaging: A Few Questions

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:09 PM

Security versus Privacy...it is a question that the world is facing today when it comes to using the Whole Body Imaging technology to screen a traveller visually in airports and other places. By giving real life examples from different parts of the world Elonnai Hickok points out that even if the Government of India eventually decides to advocate the tight security measures with some restrictions then such measures need to balanced against concerns raised for personal freedom. She further argues that privacy is not just data protection but something which must be viewed holistically and contextually when assessing new policies.

Privacy Concerns in Whole Body Imaging: A Few Questions - Read More…

Moldova Online: An Interview with Victor Diaconu

by Sudha Rajagopalan — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:10 PM

In this interview for Russian Cyberspace, set up with the help of Sunil Abraham (Executive Director at the Centre for Internet and Society in Bangalore, India), computer software professional Victor Diaconu explains the nature of Internet use, state control and the development of blogging and social media platforms in Moldova. Victor works at Computaris in Chisinau. He is Moldova educated, and has travelled to several western countries (including lengthy stays to US, UK) to learn about and understand what there is to be done in Moldova. Sudha Rajagopalan interviewed Victor Diaconu.

Moldova Online: An Interview with Victor Diaconu - Read More…

Presentation of the UID project by Ashok Dalwai – A Report

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:09 PM

On Tuesday, 7 September 2010, Ashok Dalwai, the Deputy Director General of the Unique Identification of India (UIDAI), gave a lecture at the Indian Institute for Science in Bangalore. Representing the UID Authority, his presentation explained the vision of the project and focused on the challenges involved in demographic and biometric identification, the technology adopted, and the enrolment process. Elonnai Hickok gives a report of his presentation in this blog post.

Presentation of the UID project by Ashok Dalwai – A Report - Read More…

Beyond Access as Inclusion

by Anja Kovacs — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:29 PM

On 13 September, the day before the fifth Internet Governance Forum opens, CIS is coorganising in Vilnius a meeting on Internet governance and human rights. One of the main aims of this meeting is to call attention to the crucial, yet in Internet governance often neglected, indivisibility of rights. In this blog post, Anja Kovacs uses this lens to illustrate how it can broaden as well reinvigorate our understanding of what remains one of the most pressing issues in Internet governance in developing countries to this day: that of access to the Internet.

Beyond Access as Inclusion - Read More…

Cybercrime and Privacy

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Sep 14, 2010 09:21 PM

Elonnai Hickok examines privacy in the context of India’s legal provisions on cybercrime. She picks up the relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act as amended in 2008 dealing with cyber crimes and provides a fair analysis of the pros and cons of the amended Act.

Cybercrime and Privacy - Read More…

Privacy and the Indian Copyright Act

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Jan 04, 2011 04:20 PM

India's Copyright Act was established in 1957, and is in the process of being placed before the Parliament in 2010. Even though India currently is not a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the provisions in the proposed Bill will work to make the Act WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) compliant. When looking at privacy in the context of copyright four key questions arise, says Elonnai Hickock as she analyses privacy in the context of the Indian Copyright Act.

Privacy and the Indian Copyright Act - Read More…

Summary of UID Public Meeting, August 25 2010

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:28 PM

A summary of the "No UID" public meeting that took place on Aug. 25th at the Constitution Club, New Dehli.

Summary of UID Public Meeting, August 25 2010 - Read More…

No UID Campaign in New Delhi - A Report

by Prasad Krishna — last modified Jun 20, 2012 11:51 AM

The Unique Identification (UID) Bill is not pro-citizen. The scheme is deeply undemocratic, expensive and fraught with unforseen consequences. A public meeting on UID was held at the Constitution Club, Rafi Marg in New Delhi on 25 August, 2010. The said Bill came under scrutiny at the meeting which was organised by civil society groups from Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi campaigning under the banner of "No UID". The speakers brought to light many concerns, unanswered questions and problems of the UID scheme.

No UID Campaign in New Delhi - A Report - Read More…

Wherever you are, whatever you do

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:12 PM

Facebook recently launched a location-based service called Places. Privacy advocates are resenting to this new development. Sunil Abraham identifies the three prime reasons for this outcry against Facebook. The article was published in the Indian Express on 23 August, 2010.

Wherever you are, whatever you do - Read More…

Does the Government want to enter our homes?

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:12 PM

When rogue politicians and bureaucrats are granted unrestricted access to information then the very future of democracy and free media will be in jeopardy. In an article published in the Pune Mirror on 10 August, 2010, Sunil Abraham examines this in light of the BlackBerry-to-BlackBerry messenger service that the Government of India plans to block if its makers do not allow the monitoring of messages. He says that civil society should rather resist and insist on suitable checks and balances like governmental transparency and a fair judicial oversight instead of allowing the government to intrude into the privacy and civil liberties of its citizens.

Does the Government want to enter our homes? - Read More…

UID Project in India - Some Possible Ramifications

by Liliyan — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:13 PM

Having a standard for decentralized ID verification rather than a centralized database that would more often than not be misused by various authorities will solve ID problems, writes Liliyan in this blog entry. These blog posts to be published in a series will voice the expert opinions of researchers and critics on the UID project and present its unique shortcomings to the reader.

UID Project in India - Some Possible Ramifications - Read More…

Civil Liberties and the amended Information Technology Act, 2000

by Malavika Jayaram — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:13 PM

This post examines certain limitations of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (as amended in 2008). Malavika Jayaram points out the fact that when most countries of the world are adopting plain English instead of the conventional legal terminology for better understanding, India seems to be stuck in the old-fashioned method thereby, struggling to maintain a balance between clarity and flexibility in drafting its laws. The present Act, she says, is although an improvement over the old Act and seeks to address and improve on certain areas in the right direction but still comes up short in making necessary changes when it comes to fundamental rights and personal liberties. The new Act retains elements from the previous one making it an abnormal document and this could have been averted if there had been some attention to detail.

Civil Liberties and the amended Information Technology Act, 2000 - Read More…

Feedback to the NIA Bill

by Elonnai Hickok — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:14 PM

Malavika Jayaram and Elonnai Hickok introduce the formal submission of CIS to the proposed National Identification Authority of India (NIA) Bill, 2010, which would give every resident a unique identity. The submissions contain the detailed comments on the draft bill and the high level summary of concerns with the NIA Bill submitted to the UIDAI on 13 July, 2010.

Feedback to the NIA Bill - Read More…

Does the Safe-Harbor Program Adequately Address Third Parties Online?

by Rebecca Schild — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:19 PM

While many citizens outside of the US and EU benefit from the data privacy provisions the Safe Harbor Program, it remains unclear how successfully the program can govern privacy practices when third-parties continue to gain more rights over personal data. Using Facebook as a site of analysis, I will attempt to shed light on the deficiencies of the framework for addressing the complexity of data flows in the online ecosystem.

Does the Safe-Harbor Program Adequately Address Third Parties Online? - Read More…

Sense and censorship

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:15 PM

Sunil Abraham examines Google's crusade against censorship in China in wake of the attacks on its servers in this article published in the Indian Express.

Sense and censorship - Read More…

Report on the Fourth Internet Governance Forum for Commonwealth IGF

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Feb 29, 2012 01:42 PM

This report by Pranesh Prakash reflects on the question of how useful the IGF is in the light of meetings on the themes of intellectual property, freedom of speech and privacy.

Report on the Fourth Internet Governance Forum for Commonwealth IGF - Read More…

When Whistle Blowers Unite

by Sunil Abraham — last modified Mar 21, 2012 06:17 PM

Leaking corporate or government information in public interest through popular Web service providers is risky but Wikileaks.org is one option that you could try out.

When Whistle Blowers Unite - Read More…

Address delivered during the IGF Closing Ceremony

by Radha Rao — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:18 PM

This address was delivered by Dr. Anja Kovacs, as a representative of civil society, to the IGF during its closing ceremony.

Address delivered during the IGF Closing Ceremony - Read More…

The Role of ICT in Judicial Reform- An Exploration

by Rebecca Schild — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:17 PM

A seminar held this month by the Communications and Manufacturing Association of India (CMAI) explored the role that information and communication technology can assume in the process of India's judicial reform efforts. The broad consensus among panelists was that “law is not keeping pace with technology”. However, whether technology will be harnessed to actually facilitate much needed transparency and access to the justice system, or be simply used to improve efficiency within the judicial branch still remains unclear.

The Role of ICT in Judicial Reform- An Exploration - Read More…

Information and livelihoods

by Radha Rao — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:18 PM

An article by Prof. Subbiah Arunachalam (Distinguished Fellow, CIS) in GISW 2009 (Global Information Society Watch, 2009)

Information and livelihoods - Read More…

IPv6 in India: The promises and challenges

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:16 PM

Newspapers have been reporting that IPv4 addresses will get over soon, and that we will have to shift to IPv6. In this short piece, Pranesh Prakash gives a layperson's introduction to the IPv6 Internet we will be entering into soon, and what that means for you.

IPv6 in India: The promises and challenges - Read More…

Access Beyond Developmentalism: Technology and the Intellectual Life of the Poor

by Radha Rao — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:16 PM

Essay by Lawrence Liang, September 21, 2009 in response to - A Dialogue on ICTs, Human Development, Growth, and Poverty Reduction

Access Beyond Developmentalism: Technology and the Intellectual Life of the Poor - Read More…

Control Shift?

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:22 PM

The USA has ceded control of the Internet over to Icann, but only partially. (This post appeared as an article in Down to Earth, in the issue dated November 15, 2009.)

Control Shift? - Read More…

The ICANN-US DOC 'Affirmation of Commitments' - A Step Forward?

by Anja Kovacs — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:16 PM

On 30 September 2009, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) signed an Affirmation of Commitments (AoC) with the US Government's Department of Commerce. For those of us who are concerned that the Internet should serve the global public good, is the new arrangement a step forward? An assessment.

The ICANN-US DOC 'Affirmation of Commitments' - A Step Forward? - Read More…

ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ - ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ

by Radha Rao — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:15 PM

ಪರಿಸರ ಬರಹಗಾರ ನಾಗೇಶ್ ಹೆಗಡೆ ಅವರು ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರಿನ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಒತ್ತಿ ಪರದೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ಪುಟ ಬೆಳಗಿ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನನ್ನು ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿದರು.

ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ - ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ - Read More…

Information and Communication Technology For Improving Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods

by Radha Rao — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:15 PM

ಮೈಕೇಲ್, ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಮತ್ತು ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ (ಮೈಕೇಲ್ ರಿಗ್ಸ್ ಭಾಷಣ) - ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಸವಡಿ

Information and Communication Technology For Improving Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods - Read More…

Value Added Services of Information & Communication Technology- Mobile Telephony for Farmers Benefit

by Radha Rao — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:15 PM

Mr. G Raghunatha, State Manager, IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd., Bangalore and Secretary, Institution of Agricultural Technologists, Bangalore has written an article on how ICT - Mobile Technology can be used for the farmers' benefit.

Value Added Services of Information & Communication Technology- Mobile Telephony for Farmers Benefit - Read More…

A Comment on the 2009 IGF Draft Programme Paper

by Anja Kovacs — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:15 PM

The Centre for Internet and Society is part of a broad group of civil society actors that submitted a comment on the Draft Programme Paper of the fourth Internet Governance Forum (IGF), taking place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2009. The IGF is a forum for multistakeholder policy dialogue on Internet governance issues. The comment decries the complete absence of attention for Internet Rights and Principles in the agenda as it stands as of today, and this despite repeated requests from a wide range of stakeholders to make this theme a central one. All stakeholder groups were invited to submit their comments on the Draft Programme Paper of the 2009 IGF to the IGF Secretariat by 15 August.

A Comment on the 2009 IGF Draft Programme Paper - Read More…

IT Act and Commerce

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:41 PM

This is a guest post by Rahul Matthan, partner in the law firm Trilegal, and widely regarded as one of the leading experts on information technology law in India. In this post, Mr. Matthan looks at the provisions in the amended Information Technology Act of interest to commerce, namely electronic signatures and data protection.

IT Act and Commerce - Read More…

Primer on the New IT Act

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:41 PM

With this draft information bulletin, we briefly discuss some of the problems with the Information Technology Act, and invite your comments.

Primer on the New IT Act - Read More…

Comments on the Draft Rules under the Information Technology Act

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Sep 21, 2011 02:13 PM

The Centre for Internet and Society commissioned an advocate, Ananth Padmanabhan, to produce a comment on the Draft Rules that have been published by the government under the Information Technology Act. In his comments, Mr. Padmanabhan highlights the problems with each of the rules and presents specific recommendations on how they can be improved. These comments were sent to the Department of Information and Technology.

Comments on the Draft Rules under the Information Technology Act - Read More…

Letter to ICANN on NCSG

by Pranesh Prakash — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:41 PM

The Centre for Internet and Society sent the following mail to ICANN regarding their attempt to impose their own charter for a Noncommercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG), instead of accepting the one drafted by the Noncommercial Users Constituency (NCUC).

Letter to ICANN on NCSG - Read More…

An Open Letter on Internet Governance to the UN Internet Governance Forum

by Sanchia de Souza — last modified Aug 02, 2011 03:40 PM

This open letter brings up concerns of democratic deficit in internet governance worldwide, and is addressed to the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF). It is to be delivered at the IGF's 3rd Annual Meeting at Hyderabad, India, from 3rd to 6th December, 2008. The signatories are Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore, Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore, Delhi Science Forum, New Delhi, Free Software Foundation - India, IT for Change, Bangalore, and Knowledge Commons, New Delhi.

An Open Letter on Internet Governance to the UN Internet Governance Forum - Read More…

i4D Interview: Social Networking and Internet Access

by Nishant Shah — last modified Sep 22, 2011 08:51 PM

Nishant Shah, the Director for Research at CIS, was recently interviewed in i4D in a special section looking at Social Networking and Governance, as a lead up to the Internet Governance Forum in December, in the city of Hyderabad.

i4D Interview: Social Networking and Internet Access - Read More…

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