Internet Governance Main
Cybersecurity Compilation: Indian Context
This document intends to serve as a comprehensive source compiling all the cyber-security related regulations, policies, guidelines, notifications, executive orders, court rulings, etc.
Comments from the Centre for Internet and Society on Renewal of .NET Registry Agreement
The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) is grateful for the opportunity to comment on the proposed renewal of the .NET Registry Agreement.
Aadhaar Case: Beyond Privacy, An Issue of Bodily Integrity
The insertion of Section 139AA in the Income Tax Act has been challenged and is being heard by a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court.
Comments on the Statistical Disclosure Control Report
This submission presents comments by the Centre for Internet and Society, India (“CIS”) on the Statistical Disclosure Control Report published on March 30th by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
(Updated) Information Security Practices of Aadhaar (or lack thereof): A documentation of public availability of Aadhaar Numbers with sensitive personal financial information
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.
Internet Shutdowns in 2016
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.
Killing of Yameen Rasheed Reveals Worsening Human Rights Situation in the Maldives
A courageous liberal blogger in the Maldives was murdered for his words. The international community needs to act.
Regulating Bitcoin in India
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.
Brainstorming Session on the Global Conference on Cyberspace (GCCS 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).
Privacy in the Age of Big Data
Personal data is freely accessible, shared and even sold, and those to whom this information belongs have little control over its flow.
Right to be Forgotten: A Tale of Two Judgements
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.
Aadhaar marks a fundamental shift in citizen-state relations: From ‘We the People’ to ‘We the Government’
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.
Analysis of Key Provisions of the Aadhaar Act Regulations
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.
It’s the technology, stupid
Eleven reasons why the Aadhaar is not just non-smart but also insecure.
How Aadhaar compromises privacy? And how to fix it?
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.
State of Digital Rights in India (Delhi, March 24)
The Centre for Communication Governance at National Law University, Delhi and the Internet Freedom Foundation, in association with Access Now, are hosting a discussion on The State of Digital Rights in India on March 24, 2017 (Friday) from 6.00 pm onwards at Lecture Room-I, India International Centre- Annexe, New Delhi. Japreet Grewal and Sumandro Chattapadhyay will participate in the panel discussions.
Benefits, Harms, Rights and Regulation: A Survey of Literature on Big Data
This survey draws upon a range of literature including news articles, academic articles, and presentations and seeks to disaggregate the potential benefits and harms of big data, organising them into several broad categories that reflect the existing scholarly literature. The survey also recognises the non-technical big data regulatory options which are in place as well as those which have been proposed by various governments, civil society groups and academics.
Comments on Information Technology (Security of Prepaid Payment Instruments) Rules, 2017
The Centre for Internet and Society submitted comments on the Information Technology (Security of Prepaid Payment Instruments) Rules, 2017. The comments were prepared by Udbhav Tiwari, Pranesh Prakash, Abhay Rana, Amber Sinha and Sunil Abraham.
Can the Judiciary Upturn the Lok Sabha Speaker’s Decision on Aadhaar?
When ruling on the petition filed by Jairam Ramesh challenging passing the Aadhaar Act as a money Bill, the court has differing precedents to look at.
Privacy Gaps in India's Digital India Project
This paper seeks to assess the privacy protections under 15 e-governance schemes: Soil Health Card, Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS), Project Panchdeep, U-Dise, Electronic Health Records, NHRM Smart Card, MyGov, eDistricts, Mobile Seva, Digi Locker, eSign framework for Aadhaar, Passport Seva, PayGov, National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP), and Aadhaar.
