All Blogs
Internet Shutdown Stories
The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) has published a collection of stories of the impact of internet shutdowns on people's lives in the country. This book seeks to give a glimpse into the lives of those directly affected by these internet shutdown experiments. When seen in a larger context, we hope that the stories in this book also demonstrate that access to the internet and freedom of speech is not just about an individual’s rights, but are also required for the collective good. This is a project funded by Facebook and MacArthur Foundation, and the stories were provided by 101 Reporters. Case studies from the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana, West Bengal, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, and Uttar Pradesh have been highlighted in this compilation.
AI in the Banking and Finance Industry in India
This is a draft report that seeks to map the present state of use of AI in the banking and financial sector in India.
Wikipedia edit-a-thon in mind? Kindly start here
Are you thinking to conduct a Wikipedia edit-a-thon? You may use this document as an initial guide. Please note: this article is written keeping specially organisations, institutions, and individuals in mind, who are new to Wikipedia world. We are starting this post with some basic questions. Please feel free to ask questions by mailing tito "at" cis-india.org
India's Draft Telecom Policy Needs to Bridge the Gap Between Intent and Execution
Earlier this week, India’s department of telecommunications (DoT) released a draft new telecom policy, titled ‘Draft National Digital Communications Policy 2018’.
The Huawei pointer
Taking a cue from Huawei. Huawei has an awe-inspiring record of drive, perseverance, fortuitous circumstances, good strategy, execution, and success.
DIDP Request #29 - Revenue breakdown by source for FY 2017
We requested ICANN for financial information they have not yet provided for the period ending June 2017.
Revenge Porn Laws across the World
The following is a compilation of laws dealing with revenge porn if and how they exist across multiple countries and jurisdictions.
What’s up with WhatsApp?
In 2016, WhatsApp Inc announced it was rolling out end-to-end encryption, but is the company doing what it claims to be doing?
Comments on the Draft Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act
The Centre for Internet & Society submitted comments to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India on the draft Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act on April 21, 2018.
Digital Native: The e-wasteland of our times
How digitising isn’t necessarily a fast-track to a sustainable future.
Exploring Wikimedia platforms in Dialogue on the Urban Rivers of Maharashtra
INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and SANDRP (South Asian Network of Dams, Rivers and People) organized “A Dialogue on the Urban Rivers of Maharashtra” on 20-21 April 2018 from 9:00am-5:30pm at Yashada, Pune.
A look at two problematic provisions of the draft Anti-trafficking bill
This post examines two badly drafted provisions of the new Anti-Trafficking bill that have the potential to severely impinge upon the Freedom of Expression, including through a misunderstanding of intermediary liability.
Artificial Intelligence in Governance: A Report of the Roundtable held in New Delhi
This Report provides an overview of the proceedings of the Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Governance, conducted at the Indian Islamic Cultural Centre, in New Delhi on March 16, 2018. The main purpose of the Roundtable was to discuss the deployment and implementation of AI in various aspects of governance within the Indian context. This report summarises the discussions on the development and implementation of AI in various aspects of governance in India. The event was attended by participants from academia, civil society, the legal sector, the finance sector, and the government.
Institutional Partnership with Tribal Research & Training Institute
CIS-A2K has been building partnerships with major state government departments in Maharashtra to promote free & open knowledge resources. One such effort resulted into official Govt.Resolution of Tribal Research & Training Institute under State Tribal Development department on Expert's Study Group Formation for developing Open Knowledge Platforms.
Article on Telugu Wikisource Feature Book in Pustakam.net
An article about Telugu Wikisource feature book - Andhrula Sanghika Charitra (ఆంధ్రుల సాంఘిక చరిత్ర) by Pavan Santhosh got published in Pustakam.net.
Sambad Health and Women Edit-a-thon
Sambad Health and Women Edit-a-thon was an offline edit-a-thon held in the month of April in collaboration with the Sambad media house, Odia Wikimedia User Group and the Center for Internet and Society.
CIS' Submission on Statement of Working of Patents
The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) made a submission to the Indian Patent Office on the issue of Statement of Working as per Form 27 under the Patents Act, 1970.
Government gives free publicity worth 40k to Twitter and Facebook
We conducted a 2 week survey of newspapers for links between government advertisement to social media giants. As citizens, we should be worried about the close nexus between the Indian government and digital behemoths such as Facebook, Google and Twitter. It has become apparent to us after a 2 week print media analysis that our Government has been providing free publicity worth Rs 40,000 to these entities. There are multiple issues with this as this article attempts at pointing out.
Making Humanities in the Digital: Embodiment and Framing in Bichitra and Indiancine.ma
The growth of the internet and digital technologies in the last couple of decades, and the emergence of new ‘digital objects’ of enquiry has led to a rethinking of research methods across disciplines as well as innovative modes of creative practice. This chapter authored by Puthiya Purayil Sneha (published in 'Making Things and Drawing Boundaries: Experiments in the Digital Humanities' edited by Jentery Sayers) discusses some of the questions that arise around the processes by which digital objects are ‘made’ and made available for arts and humanities research and practice, by drawing on recent work in text and film archival initiatives in India.
