Internet Governance Blog
UID and NPR: Towards Common Ground
The UID (Unique Identification) and NPR (National Population Register) are both government identity schemes that aggregate personal data, including biometric data for the provision of an identification factor, and aim to link them with the delivery of public utility services.
Roundtable on Indian Privacy Law and Policy
This event was hosted by the Centre for Law and Development of the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) in Kochi. It was attended by members of the faculty of NUALS, some students from the 2nd year, 3rd year, 4th year, and 5th year.
UID: A Data Subject's Registration Tale
A person who registered for UIDAI shares their experience of registering for the UID Number, on the condition of anonymity.
CIS@IGF 2014
The ninth Internet Governance Forum (“IGF2014”) was hosted by Turkey in Istanbul from September 2 to 5, 2014.
The Aadhaar Case
In 2012 a writ petition was filed by Justice K.S. Puttaswamy in the Supreme Court of India challenging the policy of the government in making an Aadhaar card for every person in India and its later plans to link various government benefit schemes to the same.
Zero Draft of Content Removal Best Practices White Paper
EFF and CIS Intermediary Liability Project is aimed towards the creation of a set of principles for intermediary liability in consultation with groups of Internet-focused NGOs and the academic community.
CIS Cybersecurity Series (Part 21) – Gyanak Tsering
CIS interviews Gyanak Tsering, Tibetan monk in exile, as part of the Cybersecurity Series.
CIS Cybersecurity Series (Part 20) – Saumil Shah
CIS interviews Saumil Shah, security expert, as part of the Cybersecurity Series.
Privacy in Healthcare: Policy Guide
The Health Policy Guide seeks to understand what are the legal regulations governing data flow in the health sector — particularly hospitals, and how are these regulations implemented. Towards this objective, the research reviews data practices in a variety of public and private hospitals and diagnostics labs. The research is based on legislation, case law, publicly available documents, and anonymous interviews.
Learning to Forget the ECJ's Decision on the Right to be Forgotten and its Implications
“The internet never forgets” is a proposition which is equally threatening and promising.
Second Privacy and Surveillance Roundtable
On July 4, 2014, the Centre for Internet and Society in association with the Cellular Operators Association of India organized a privacy roundtable at the India International Centre. The primary aim was to gain inputs on what would constitute an ideal surveillance regime in India.
Surat’s Massive Surveillance Network Should Cause Concern, Not Celebration
The blog post examines the surveillance network of Surat, a city in Gujarat state in India.
UK’s Interception of Communications Commissioner — A Model of Accountability
The United Kingdom maintains sophisticated electronic surveillance operations through a number of government agencies, ranging from military intelligence organizations to police departments to tax collection agencies. However, all of this surveillance is governed by one set of national laws outlining specifically what surveillance agencies can and cannot do.
Private Censorship and the Right to Hear
Very little recourse is available against publishers or intermediaries if these private parties censor an author’s content unreasonably.
First Privacy and Surveillance Roundtable
The Privacy and Surveillance Roundtables are a CIS initiative, in partnership with the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), as well as local partners. From June 2014 – November 2014, CIS and COAI will host seven Privacy and Surveillance Roundtable discussions across multiple cities in India. The Roundtables will be closed-door deliberations involving multiple stakeholders.
GNI and IAMAI Launch Interactive Slideshow Exploring Impact of India's Internet Laws
The Global Network Initiative and the Internet and Mobile Association of India have come together to explain how India’s Internet and technology laws impact economic innovation and freedom of expression.
Delhi High Court Orders Blocking of Websites after Sony Complains Infringement of 2014 FIFA World Cup Telecast Rights
Of late the Indian judiciary has been issuing John Doe orders to block websites, most recently in Multi Screen Media v. Sunit Singh and Others. The order mandated blocking of 472 websites, out of which approximately 267 websites were blocked as on July 7, 2014. This trend is an extremely dangerous one because it encourages flagrant censorship by intermediaries based on a judicial order which does not provide for specific blocking of a URL, instead provides for blocking of the entire website.
The Constitutionality of Indian Surveillance Law: Public Emergency as a Condition Precedent for Intercepting Communications
Bedavyasa Mohanty analyses the nuances of interception of communications under the Indian Telegraph Act and the Indian Post Office Act. In this post he explores the historical bases of surveillance law in India and examines whether the administrative powers of intercepting communications are Constitutionally compatible.
Models for Surveillance and Interception of Communications Worldwide
This is an evaluation of laws and practices governing surveillance and interception of communications in 9 countries. The countries evaluated represent a diverse spectrum not only in terms of their global economic standing but also their intrusive surveillance capabilities. The analysis is limited to the procedural standards followed by these countries for authorising surveillance and provisions for resolving interception related disputes.
ICANN’s Documentary Information Disclosure Policy – I: DIDP Basics
In a series of blogposts, Vinayak Mithal analyses ICANN's reactive transparency mechanism, comparing it with freedom of information best practices. In this post, he describes the DIDP and its relevance for the Internet community.
