Internet Governance Blog
(Updated) Information Security Practices of Aadhaar (or lack thereof): A documentation of public availability of Aadhaar Numbers with sensitive personal financial information
- May 01, 2017
Since its inception in 2009, the Aadhaar project has been shrouded in controversy due to various questions raised about privacy, technological issues, welfare exclusion, and security concerns. In this study, we document numerous instances of publicly available Aadhaar Numbers along with other personally identifiable information (PII) of individuals on government websites. This report highlights four government projects run by various government departments that have made sensitive personal financial information and Aadhaar numbers public on the project websites.
Read more →Internet Shutdowns in 2016
- April 27, 2017
An internet shutdown is an intentional disruption of internet or electronic communications, rendering them inaccessible or effectively unusable, for a specific population or within a location, often to exert control over the flow of information.
Read more →Regulating Bitcoin in India
- April 20, 2017
The article discusses the possible contours of future bitcoin regulation in India. Bitcoin, often considered a ‘notorious’ virtual currency limited only to techies or speculators, is currently fighting a battle to become a bona fide mainstream means of exchange.
Read more →Brainstorming Session on the Global Conference on Cyberspace (GCCS 2017)
- April 14, 2017
I attended a brainstorming session on the Global Conference on Cyber Space 2017 on April 12, 2017 at Electronics Niketan that was organised by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology. The Global Conference on Cyber Space was first held in London in 2011. Thereafter, it was held in Budapest (2012), Seoul (2013) and the Hague (2015).
Read more →Privacy in the Age of Big Data
- April 11, 2017
Personal data is freely accessible, shared and even sold, and those to whom this information belongs have little control over its flow.
Read more →Right to be Forgotten: A Tale of Two Judgements
- April 07, 2017
In the last few months, there have been contrasting judgments from two Indian high courts, Karnataka and Gujarat, on matters relating to the right to be forgotten. The two high courts heard pleas on issues to do the right of individuals to have either personal information redacted from the text of judgments available online or removal of such judgment from publically available sources.
Read more →Aadhaar marks a fundamental shift in citizen-state relations: From ‘We the People’ to ‘We the Government’
- April 04, 2017
Your fingerprints, iris scans, details of where you shop. Compulsory Aadhaar means all this data is out there. And it’s still not clear who can view or use it.
Read more →Analysis of Key Provisions of the Aadhaar Act Regulations
- April 03, 2017
In exercise of their powers under of the powers conferred by Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, (Aadhaar Act) the UIDAI has come out with a set of five regulations in late 2016 last year. In this policy brief, we look at the five regulations, their key provisions and highlight point out the unresolved, issues, unaddressed, and created issues as result of these regulations.
Read more →It’s the technology, stupid
- April 07, 2017
Eleven reasons why the Aadhaar is not just non-smart but also insecure.
Read more →How Aadhaar compromises privacy? And how to fix it?
- April 01, 2017
Aadhaar is mass surveillance technology. Unlike targeted surveillance which is a good thing, and essential for national security and public order – mass surveillance undermines security. And while biometrics is appropriate for targeted surveillance by the state – it is wholly inappropriate for everyday transactions between the state and law abiding citizens.
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