Human rights activists have called on India to reform or repeal laws that threaten free expression in the world’s largest democracy and muzzle charities such as environmental group Greenpeace. Some laws are not only silencing marginal voices but are also fuelling graft, a report by PEN International, a London-based group of writers promoting freedom of…
Last week, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), in collaboration with the Global Commission on Internet Governance (GCIG), hosted a conference on Internet governance and cybersecurity. The conference gathered a variety of experts to discuss issues pertaining to Internet governance, human rights, data protection and privacy, digital trade, innovation and security. The…
Internet.org’s offer of access to selected websites and services without data charges has been criticized by over 60 digital rights groups around the world for, among other things, increasing inequality while undermining net neutrality. The organizations, some of whom have worked in the area of providing connectivity to the poor, on Monday wrote an open…
BJP today said internet must be governed as it is “extremely important” for governance but it should done in a way that does not compromise on the spirit of freedom of speech and expression. “Internet is extremely important and since it is extremely important for governance also, because every person is within the ambit of…
Just when India is warming up in a heated debate on net neutrality, here comes some interesting news. Last week, US telecom operator Verizon Communications announced it will acquire AOL (America Online) for $4.4 billion (or about Rs 28,000 crore). AOL is an internet service provider (ISP) that has relied heavily on content to be…
Health workers in countries torn by civil unrest and conflict – particularly Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria – need greater protection against attacks on medical facilities, staff and patients, rights groups and aid agencies said on Wednesday. Targeted attacks are destroying health systems and infrastructure, forcing health workers to flee and preventing children from getting vaccinations,…
The global free speech advocacy group PEN International has raised concerns in a new report “about the use of outmoded legislation to stifle free expression in India”. Written in collaboration with PEN Canada and the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto, the nearly 150-page report released on May 20 provides a comprehensive…
Amid growing criticism for Facebook’s Internet.org initiative, 67 Internet activists group have written an open letter to the founder of social networking site Mark Zuckerberg, saying it violates principles of net neutrality and is a threat to freedom of expression. Signatories to the letter include groups from India, Colombia, Netherlands, U.S., Democratic Republic of Congo,…
Net2Phone, IDT Telecom’s business solutions subsidiary, today announced that its best-in-class telecommunications solution for business, Net2Phone Office, has added unlimited calling to India to its flat rate international calling plan. Net2Phone Office’s Hosted PBX service and its SIP Trunking services both include Net2Phone Office’s unlimited international calling plan for one low monthly rate. With the…
The Union government is considering doubling spending on a high-speed Internet grid to connect villages across the country to Rs.70,000 crore, communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. A committee appointed by the ministry has recommended raising the allocation for the National Optical Fibre Network to enable changes to the project, Prasad said in an interview…