Thread by @internetfreedom

Privacy is a right, not a privilege. So why are ASHA workers, who ensure the welfare of rural & marginalised communities, facing mass surveillance? India's incoming data law has a lot to do with these rights violations. A thread on #PrivacyOfThePeople.
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internetfreedom.in/privacyofthepe…

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) look over a thousand families in 1 administrative unit, going door-to-door to increase awareness on healthcare, sanitation, etc. in rural communities. Usually, ASHAs belong to the same marginalised groups.
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theleaflet.in/asha-and-angan…

Battling the issues caused by COVID, ASHA workers now have to resist State surveillance too. A Mobile Device Management app (MDM 360) has been forcefully installed on their phones to track their locations, 'efficiency,' add/delete information, etc.
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timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/p…

Over 22,000 workers are standing up to the violation of their Right to Privacy. Most workers (women) are prone to harassment by this move as their coordinators, mostly men, can now access their movements & private data. They've been protesting State surveillance since 2018.
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Further, MDM-360 was installed without the ASHA workers' consent and they are unable to buy 2 separate phones to protect their privacy. In a memo to CMO, Dr. Randeep Punia, they demanded that the app be removed because they feel unsafe, vulnerable, and censored by this move.
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Such surveillance has violated the rights of marginalised communities repeatedly. In Haryana, the Municipal Corporation forced sanitation workers to wear GPS-enabled “Human Efficiency” trackers on their wrists, pervading all aspects of their lives.
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huffpost.com/archive/in/ent…

In our commitment to fight workplace surveillance, IFF sent a legal notice on 26.4.20 to @BECIL_India pertaining to its "personnel tracking GPS solution". However, it's worrisome that India's incoming data law wants to normalise this privacy violation.
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internetfreedom.in/legal-notice-t…

The Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 adversely impacts employees, with Clause 13 allowing for the collection of personal data by employers that's not classified as 'sensitive,' without consent. Info such as trade union data, integral to workers' rights, is thus vulnerable.
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Robust data protection regimes like the GDPR recognise that consent must be “freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous.” ASHAs & other workers deserve better from the PDPB than the abuse of their privacy & human rights, disguised as efficiency.
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drive.google.com/file/d/1qjZfNE…

Mass surveillance disproportionately affects marginalised groups and only fosters mistrust. One solution is imposing a mandatory obligation on the employer to consult employees and seek their views prior to processing personal data under Clause 13 of the PDP Bill, 2019.
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The fundamental rights to privacy and to unionize must be protected together. Thus, IFF recommends that the broader conversation of implementing surveillance systems must be discussed with all stakeholders, including respective workers like ASHAs and the public at large.
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