Thread by @no2uid

#JantaParliament thread with live tweets. @PaliSamuel introduces the 6th session on technology and surveillance - there is a need to ask who are excluded from their constitutional rights by technological solutions/interventions?

The people of Jammu&Kashmir have been denied internet access, migrant labourers asked to book trains online, rights bearing citizens reduced to data subjects #JantaParliament

Constitutional rights that form the architecture of governance must be present at the stage of design of technology (before even implemented or conceptualised) #JantaParliament

Guidelines - Data minimisation principle, purpose specification, use minimisation, openess which foregrounds transparency, security, individual rights participation, accountability and a sunset clause

The question to the house to open with - can the government demand trust? This house must keep in mind the fears of surveillance are compounded by existing realities @PaliSamuel #JantaParliament

Usha Ramanathan begins - while watching #JantaParliament I have thought what are the common concerns from the experiences people are facing. In the previous session on environment exploitation of resources was a concern and the state claiming to have power to exploitat resources

A similar concern comes up with data where you are required to give up your data for the state to achieve its goals and needs. The parallels with the session on environment are extensive #JantaParliament

Lasting damage is a concern in the environment, it is a concern for data and technologies around it as well - Usha Ramanathan #JantaParliament

The idea of digitisation when it came in was not bad. Then we had IDs. Every person should be allocated a number and that number should be in every database. It was the beginning of the idea that people should be transparent to the state and corporations. - Usha Ramanathan

I want to start with a basic rule. Surveillance is not ok - Usha Ramanathan #JantaParliament

There is very little discussion on people owning their own data. It is like haggling in the market place about who will use the data. The idea of commercialisation of data is hand in hand with the relationship between state and corporates #JantaParliament - Usha Ramanatha

All surveillance must come under a law - Usha Ramanathan #JantaParliament

Follow the livestream on jantaparliament.wordpress.com we will be right back in a bit with tweets!

Further live tweeting https://t.co/5qRyhX4e7e

Navmee from the @StrandedWorkers speaks about technology and migrant labourers. Apps made by states with large numbers of migrant workers were exclusionary because if a labourer did not have a smartphone, aadhaar, etc they could not access aid and entitlements in the lockdown

There were technical glitches, language barriers - lockdown highlighted the need of social security for migrant labourers. With the failure of these safety nets, technology was seen as the main solution, instead PDS should have been universalised @StrandedWorkers

@SameetPanda from @OrissaRtf speaks on the mandatory use of #aadhaar in the public distribution system and the havoc it has caused #JantaParliament

A huge number of persons were excluded from food security entitlements in Odisha because of non-linkage of #Aadhaar we have tried to get people back into the PDS system but even after RTIs we don’t have the exact number #JantaParliament

A sample survey on the ground by @OrissaRtf revealed that people were excluded because they did not have aadhaar despite applying, their aadhaar card has not been seeded due to apathy of officials, aadhaar has not been correctly seeded etc. #JantaParliament

Pensions are an important social security system in Orissa and functions well. A recent order states that those who don’t verify their aadhaar with the pension system, will no longer get aadhaar - this will leave almost 11lakh persons without pension @jan_sarokar @givepensions

Every survey shows that during the pandemic vulnerability has increased. Mandatory #Aadhaar makes life very difficult for persons. As campaigns we need to highlight that #Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory and people get their entitlements without difficulty #JantaParliament

Astha from Apti Institute talks about platform workers. Algorithms are destroying relationships between employers and employees. Algorithms hire and fire people. Platform workers have been crucial in the pandemic but face enormous personal surveillance with consent bypassed

Workers are unable to come together and collectively negotiate with platforms. We must think about ways in which workers can control their data and negotiate with platforms. #JantaParliament

How do we empower workers? @KapoorAstha - we need to have a way for platform workers to collectively bargain with platforms & pool their data rights for collective decision making on use of their data. The #COVID__19 emergency has made their vulnerability clear @aaptiinstitute

To talk about tech we have to talk about equality of access. Most people don’t have access to stable internet (and electricity) in a pandemic when the govt is pushinf for remote work, education, banking - not having internet or telecommunications is a huge problem @skchinmayi

It is vital that the govt. think of offline ways of functioning that is not dependent on the infrastructure of technology. Corporates are interested in profit, the govt must ensure that access to infrastructure possible and reduce the digital access divide @skchinmayi

The people of Jammu and Kashmir have not had internet for a year. Long term denial of internet affects people’s jobs, lives, psychologically - anxiety and worry. Not having internet affects your safety specially when you live in remote areas @skchinmayi #JantaParliament

The internet shutdowns don’t actually achieve what they set out to do. People ask - ‘has it reduced the conflict?, we need to listen to people who need access to the internet and technology and allocate budgets to reduce the digital divide @skchinmayi #JantaParliament

Deepika of @jsa_india begins - Govt infrastructure has been weak, people were already affected by this then #Aadhaar was added. In the pandemic things got worse. In Rajasthan #Aadhaar was made mandatory for COVID testing, in Maharashtra for COVID drugs #JantaParliament

At a time when access to health should have been made easier #Aadhaar was another barrier. @jsa_india #JantaParliament

Health data was found to have been shared with private companies. When people went to be tested for covid they received messages from@private hospitals for covid care packages @jsa_india #JantaParliament

Follow this thread for further live tweeting #JantaParliament @jan_sarokar https://t.co/adOu0PD3ZA