Connecting the dots for a Digital India: Amit Sharma: The Government is observing this Independence Day as ‘Sankalp Parva’, or the Day of Resolve. It has asked the people of India to dedicate themselves to social causes and to share their ideas for creating a new India. This is an opportune moment to pause and…
Inside Google Rail Wi-Fi in India and how it is connecting millions to the web: As a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India initiative, the Indian Railways have partnered with Google to provide Wi-Fi Broadband facility to passengers at major railway stations across the country. The Google RailTel initiative was launched in January…
Anonymous messaging app goes viral, raises spectre of bullying: The white envelopes sit against an aquamarine backdrop, inviting anonymous messages that range from declarations of love to criticisms that may not have been possible face to face. They are from a new app called Sarahah, which has become the most downloaded free app on the iOS store in…
India’s blurry battle between digital freedom and security: Increasingly, Indian authorities are pulling the plug on the internet. They say the tactic is the most effective tool against militants and troublemakers who organise online. Perhaps surprisingly, internet freedom advocates agree they are right to be worried. But conversely, authorities acknowledge the perils of limiting communication…
Hamid Ansari Talks About Freedom of Speech in Farewell Address: Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari lectured the Central government once again about the importance of Freedom of Speech. Without directly naming anyone, he stressed on the need to protect Parliamentary minority’s right to express dissent against the policies of the government. He made these comments in the…
Indian Government censors Internet Archive: The Internet Archive is a not-for-profit organisation which has been archiving internet content for more than two decades. It is arguably the most important sites on the internet and as of October last year had amassed an astonishing 510 billion time-stamped web objects which take up a huge 15 petabytes…
Privacy and the ‘nothing to hide’ argument: The right to privacy hearings before the nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court ended recently. During the conclusion, it was argued on behalf of the state of Gujarat that privacy claims are only made by those who have done something wrong. Read More
Indians deserve their right to privacy: On the day after the 75th anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi’s call to the British to quit India in 1942, and in the week before India celebrates the 70th anniversary of its independence in 1947, there are a few points worth recalling as the Supreme Court deliberates over whether privacy…
Aadhaar Data Breach: 20,100 User Details Published On Punjab Government Website: A Punjab government entity has published the Aadhaar details of 20,100 citizens on its official website. These details include Aadhaar numbers, user names and their father’s name. The data belongs to people who have applied for low-cost housing in Ludhiana and Jagraon in Punjab.…
Privacy in the digital age: The current focus on the right to privacy is based on some new realities of the digital age. Personal spaces and safeties that were previously granted simply by physical separation are no longer protected. The digital network enters the most proximate spaces and challenges the normally accepted notions of the private. It…