All Blogs
Donald Trump is attacking the social media giants; here’s what India should do differently
For a robust and rights-respecting public sphere, India needs to ensure that large social media platforms receive adequate protections, and are made more responsible to its users.
'I feel the pain of having nowhere to go': A Manipuri Trans Woman Recounts Her Ongoing Lockdown Ordeal
"My life and work in Bengaluru came to an abrupt halt with the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown this March. We no longer had jobs and were forced to plan our departure from the city." -- As told to Santa Khurai, Manipur-based queer and Nupi Manbi activist, artist and writer. Compiled by Aayush Rathi, a cisgender, heterosexual man, and researcher with Centre for Internet and Society, India. This account is part of an ongoing CIS research project on gender, welfare and surveillance in India, and is supported by Privacy International, UK.
Cryptocurrencies in India get a second wind
An analysis of the Supreme Court judgment cryptocurrency judgment.
Guest Report: Bridging the Concerns with Recommending Aarogya Setu
Keywords: Aarogya Setu, Constitutionality, Digital Contact Tracing, Location Data, Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, Exemptions, Personal Data, Sensitive Personal Data, Mosaic Theory, Surveillance, Privacy, Governing Law, Necessity, Intensity of Review, disparate Impact, Proportionality
DWRU, BBGS & MKU - The Covid-19 Pandemic and the Invisible Workers of the Household Economy
Domestic Workers Rights Union (DWRU), Bruhat Bangalore Gruhakarmika Sangha (BBGS), and Manegelasa Kaarmikara Union (MKU) have prepared a report on the invisibilisation of domestic workers under the Covid-19 pandemic and a set of demands directed at the government and resident welfare associations (RWAs) for better, dignified and just treatment of domestic workers in Karnataka. We at CIS are proud to contribute to and publish this work as part of the ongoing 'Feminist Internet Research Network' project supported by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).
Geo-economic impacts of the coronavirus: Global Supply Chains (Part I)
This two part blog post looks at the geo-economic impacts of the coronavirus by examining crucial impacts of developments in China. Part I looks at the impact of China's shutdown on global supply chains and part two, considers the implications for the future of 5G technology.
The debate over internet governance and cyber crimes: West vs the rest?
The post looks at the two models proposed for internet governance and the role of cyber crimes in shaping the debate. In this context, it will also critically analyze the Budapest Convention (the “convention”) and the recently proposed Russian Resolution (the “resolution”), and the strategies adopted in each to deal with the menace of cybercrimes. It will also briefly discuss India’s stances on these issues.
Freedom of Expression in India: Key Research and Findings
Over the last two years, CIS has carried out critical research on the issue of freedom of expression in India. We have continued our work on intermediary liability, as well as expanded our expertise to emerging areas, like online extreme speech. Researchers have also closely tracked developments around internet shutdowns, and the impact of social media and data on democratic processes in the country.
Essay: Watching Corona or Neighbours? - Introducing ‘Lateral Surveillance’ during COVID-19
Surveillance is already suspected to have become the ‘new normal’ considering the extensive amounts of money that is being invested by governments around the globe. The only way out of this pandemic is to take a humane approach to surveillance wherein the discriminatory tendencies of the people while spreading information about those infected are factored in to prevent excessive harm.
High priced restrictive entry, distorted regulations make India's telecom sector unattractive
In the wake of COVID-19, the PM has emphasized the opportunity to attract FDI by transforming the business environment and urged policy makers to ease the way business is done.
What BharatNet can learn from the rural-roads scheme: involve states, local bodies, private sector
BharatNet appears to be foundering. It has a top-down approach with little involvement of the states, implementing agencies, or vendors. In contrast, PMGSY, considered a success, works in a bottom-up manner. Its implementation mechanism involves a dedicated agency from the user ministry, PWD, rural-road development agencies, gram panchayats, private operators, etc.
Ethics and Human Rights Guidelines for Big Data for Development Research
This is a four-part review of guideline documents for ethics and human rights in big data for development research. This research was produced as part of the Big Data for Development network supported by International Development Research Centre, Canada
A Compilation of Research on the Gig Economy
Over the past year, researchers at CIS have been studying gig economies and gig workers in India. Their work has involved consultative discussions with domestic workers, food delivery workers, taxi drivers, trade union leaders, and government representatives to document the state of gig work in India, and highlight the concerns of gig workers. The imposition of a severe lockdown in India in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 has left gig workers in precarious positions. Without the privilege of social distancing, these workers are having to contend with a drastic reduction in income, while also placing themselves at heightened health risks.
From Health and Harassment to Income Security and Loans, India's Gig Workers Need Support
Deemed an 'essential service' by most state governments, and thereby exempt from temporary suspension during the COVID-19 lockdown, food, groceries and other essential commodities have continued to be delivered by e-commerce companies and on-demand services. Actions to protect workers, who are taking on significant risks, have been far less forthcoming than those for customers. Zothan Mawii (Tandem Research), Aayush Rathi (CIS) and Ambika Tandon (CIS) spoke with the leaders of four workers' unions and labour researchers to identify recommended actions that public agencies and private companies may undertake to better support the urgent needs of gig workers in India.
COVID-19 Charter Of Recommendations on Gig Work
Tandem Research and the Centre for Internet and Society organised a webinar on 9 April 2020, with unions representing gig workers and researchers studying labour rights and gig work, to uncover the experiences of gig workers during the lockdown. Based on the discussion, the participants of the webinar have drafted a set of recommendations for government agencies and platform companies to safeguard workers’ well being. Here are excerpts from this charter of recommendation shared with multiple central and state government agencies and platforms companies.
Rumours, Misinformation and Self-Verification of Facts in the Age of COVID-19
Efforts taken by the government or social media platforms can only be realised if an individual asks herself -- 'what can I do to verify this piece of information'?
Zothan Mawii - COVID-19 and Relief Measures for Gig Workers in India
CIS is cohosted a webinar with Tandem Research on the impact of the COVID-19 response on the gig economy on 9 April 2020. It was a closed door discussion between representatives of workers' unions, labour activists, and researchers working on gig economy and workers' rights to highlight the demands of workers' groups in the transport, food delivery and care work sectors. We saw this as an urgent intervention in light of the disruption to the gig economy caused by the nationwide lockdown to limit proliferation of COVID-19. This is a summary of the discussions that took place in the webinar authored by Zothan Mawii, a Research Fellow at Tandem Research.
