Internet Governance Blog
Report on the 5th Privacy Round Table meeting
This report entails an overview of the discussions and recommendations of the fifth Privacy Round Table in Calcutta, on 13th July 2013.
You Have the Right to Remain Silent
Reflecting upon the state of freedom of speech and expression in India, in the wake of the shut-down of the political satire website narendramodiplans.com.
Parsing the Cyber Security Policy
An effective cyber-security policy must keep up with the rapid evolution of technology, and must never become obsolete. The standard-setting and review bodies will therefore need to be very nimble, says Chinmayi Arun.
CII Conference on "ACT": Achieve Cyber Security Together"
The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) organized a conference on facing cyber threats and challenges at Hotel Hilton in Chennai on July 13, 2013. Kovey Coles attended this conference and shares a summary of the event in this blog post.
DSCI Best Practices Meet 2013
The DSCI Best Practices Meet 2013 was organized on July 12, 2013 at Hyatt Regency, Anna Salai in Chennai. Kovey Coles attended the meet and shares a summary of the happenings in this blog post.
Interview with Mr. Reijo Aarnio - Finnish Data Protection Ombudsman
Maria Xynou recently interviewed Mr. Reijo Aarnio, the Finnish Data Protection Ombudsman, at the CIS' 5th Privacy Round Table. View this interview and gain an insight on recommendations for better data protection in India!
Can India Trust Its Government on Privacy?
In response to criticisms of the Centralized Monitoring System, India’s new surveillance program, the government could contend that merely having the capability to engage in mass surveillance won’t mean that it will. Officials will argue that they will still abide by the law and will ensure that each instance of interception will be authorized.
How Surveillance Works in India
When the Indian government announced it would start a Centralized Monitoring System in 2009 to monitor telecommunications in the country, the public seemed unconcerned. When the government announced that the system, also known as C.M.S., commenced in April, the news didn’t receive much attention.
CIS Cybersecurity Series (Part 6) - Lhadon Tethong
CIS interviews Lhadon Tethong, Tibetan human rights activist, as part of the Cybersecurity Series
Moving Towards a Surveillance State
The cyberspace is a modern construct of communication and today, a large part of human activity takes place in cyberspace. It has become the universal platform where business is executed, discourse is conducted and personal information is exchanged. However, the underbelly of the internet is also seen to host activities and persons who are motivated by nefarious intent.
India:Privacy in Peril
The danger of mass surveillance in India is for real. The absence of a regulating law is damning for Indians who want to protect their privacy against the juggernaut of state and private surveillance.
CIS Cybersecurity Series (Part 5) - Amelia Andersdotter
CIS interviews Amelia Andersdotter, member of the European parliament, as part of the Cybersecurity Series
CIS Cybersecurity Series (Part 3) - Eva Galperin
CIS interviews Eva Galperin, Global Policy Analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
The Difficult Balance of Transparent Surveillance
Is it too much to ask for transparency in data surveillance? On occasion, companies like Microsoft, Facebook, and the other silicon valley giants would say no. When customers join these services, each company provides their own privacy statement which assures customers of the safety and transparency that accompanies their personal data.
Privacy Protection Bill, 2013 (With Amendments based on Public Feedback)
In 2013 CIS drafted the Privacy Protection Bill as a citizens' version of a privacy legislation for India. Since April 2013, CIS has been holding Privacy Roundtables in collaboration with FICCI and DSCI, with the objective of gaining public feedback to the Privacy Protection Bill and other possible frameworks for privacy in India.
SEBI and Communication Surveillance: New Rules, New Responsibilities?
In this blog post, Kovey Coles writes about the activities of the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), discusses the importance of call data records (CDRs), and throws light on the significant transition in governmental leniency towards access to private records.
The State is Snooping: Can You Escape?
Blanket surveillance of the kind envisaged by India's Centralized Monitoring System achieves little, but blatantly violates the citizen's right to privacy; Snehashish Ghosh explores why it may be dangerous and looks at potential safeguards against such intrusion.
Open Letter to Prevent the Installation of RFID tags in Vehicles
The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) has sent this open letter to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) to urge them not to intall RFID tags in vehicles in India.
Way to watch
The domestic surveillance regime in India lacks adequate safeguards.
Report on the 4th Privacy Round Table meeting
This report entails an overview of the discussions and recommendations of the fourth Privacy Round Table in Mumbai, on 15th June 2013.
