By now, you must have seen the horrifying videos of @hydcitypolice unlocking people’s phones and searching their chats for keywords like ‘ganja’ and ‘weed’.

We’ve assisted @digitaldutta in sending a legal notice to the #Hyderabad Police Commissioner. 1/n

internetfreedom.in/iff-assisted-i…
News report videos by @TheSiasatDaily showed police officials in Hyderabad stopping pedestrians, motorcycle/autorickshaw drivers and riders. They appeared to be taking their phones and going through them. 2/n
A police official confirmed this and said:

👉🏾 5 teams deployed
👉🏾 Police checking phones for keywords - ‘ganja’, ‘weed’ and ‘stuff’
👉🏾 Any phone with these words being sent to the police station
👉🏾 Checking for over a month from 6am to 2am everyday 3/n
thenewsminute.com/article/hydera…
Dy. Commissioner (South) confirmed that he is aware of this. He claimed that the police weren't forcing anybody & people are co-operated without complaining.

But he added that refusal to hand-over phones could lead to imposition of legal provisions against such persons. 4/n
This is illegal!!

Police has no power under the CrPC (or any other law) to stop ordinary citizens and “request” an unlock of mobile devices to search the devices for evidence of illegal activity.

Karnataka HC has held that searches of mobiles require a judicial warrant. 5/n
.@digitaldutta, an independent researcher and expert on privacy-related issues, approached us to help draft a legal notice to the @hydcitypolice, highlighting these issues.

This legal notice was sent to the Police Commissioner of Hyderabad Police today. 6/n
We’ve demanded that the @hydcitypolice Commissioner:
➡️ immediately ensure the cessation of this activity;
take cognisance of such actions
➡️ initiate appropriate proceedings against the concerned police officials

We hope for positive action, and will keep you updated. 7/n
We will also continue to raise our voices and #SaveOurPrivacy!

Keep us going — help us fight for your constitutional rights.
internetfreedom.in/donate/

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF)

Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @internetfreedom

30 Oct
It has been 118 days since the “Sulli Deals” incident came to light — and Muslim women who were targeted are still waiting for justice.

IFF wrote to @DelhiPolice, highlighting concerns with the lack of progress being made in their investigation. 1/6
internetfreedom.in/118-days-since…
On 4th July '21, multiple Twitter accounts posted a screengrab from an app hosted on @github titled “Sulli Deals”.

This app shared photos and social media handles of more than 80 Indian Muslim women with the aim of objectifying and demeaning them. 2/6
After massive furore and backlash, the first FIR in the incident was registered — 6th July '21. On 8th July, @NCWIndia and the DCW also took suo motu cognizance, while the @DelhiPolice registered another FIR. 3/6

Read 7 tweets
29 Oct
As the frequency of data breaches increases, the threat to your data becomes more real every day — even if you've done your threat modelling & implemented digital security hygiene.

What can you do in the aftermath of a data breach? #CybersecCharcha ⬇️ 1/n
internetfreedom.in/6-cybersec-cha…
First things first, confirm the breach and don't fall for rumours on Twitter! Verify the news from 3-4 trusted sources.

Beware of scammers moonlighting as company reps & try to gather more information. Speak to the company via official channels if you have to! #databreach 2/n
Next: Change your passwords if your credentials were leaked. Password tips:

➡️ DO NOT repeat the same passwords everywhere
➡️ DO NOT include Personally Identifiable Information (like birthdates, parents' names etc) — this will make them easy to crack.
➡️ DO enable 2FA! 3/n
Read 8 tweets
28 Oct
EXPLAINED: The RBI's #AccountAggregator framework that went live on 2 Sept '21! This new change was heralded as "transformative" to the financial ecosystem.

But does its revolutionary potential stand the test? Follow this thread ⬇️ 1/5 #SaveOurPrivacy

internetfreedom.in/explainer-acco…
This framework tries to make #financialdata more accessible between banks or other "Financial Information Providers" and entities requesting that data (like credit platforms) called "Financial Information Users" with the consent of the user.

Here's how it works ⬇️ 2/5
#AccountAggregator supporters say this is a step towards a secure, efficient, & connected financial ecosystem — reducing costs + frauds while prioritising user consent.

But critics say that security issues exist, while the role of RBI in regulating AAs has been questioned. 3/5
Read 7 tweets
27 Oct
#PegasusProject #OrderAnalysis❗️ Long Thread Alert 🧵

BIG NEWS: The Supreme Court of India has constituted a technical committee to investigate the allegations of #Pegasus use against Indian citizens. 1/14

internetfreedom.in/sc-appoints-a-…
WHAT CAN THE COMMITTEE DO? 👁‍🗨

It is to enquire and investigate whether the #Pegasus spyware was acquired by any Government; whether it was used on phones/devices of Indians to access stored data, eavesdrop, intercept information; and/or for any other purpose. 2/n
The Committee can also make recommendations regarding new laws around #surveillance to secure the right to #privacy as well as about establishment of a mechanism for citizens to raise grievances grievances if they fear they are under illegal surveillance. 3/n
Read 14 tweets
27 Oct
❗️India must take official notice of the #FacebookFiles immediately❗️

IFF has asked the Standing Committee on IT to initiate an inquiry into the @FrancesHaugen & @szhang_ds revelations and invite them & #FacebookIndia reps for official testimony 👇🏽 🧵 1/9
internetfreedom.in/your-mom-was-r…
Stay with us as we break down the myth vs. reality of #Facebook, according to the company's own documentation!

First up: Political #misinformation and violent extremism. Can Facebook stand up to the challenge? According to reports, the answer is a NO. 2/9
Does #Facebook mislead the public about proactive hate-speech removal? The answer is YES — Facebook removes only 5% of the hate on its platforms!

Not just that, but the #FacebookFiles reveal that their platforms are literally primed for virality that promotes #hatespeech. 3/9
Read 10 tweets
26 Oct
HELP IFF REACH STABILITY FOR 2022 🆘

If you’ve already contributed to our ongoing fundraiser (in any way at all!), thank you so much for doing your bit to keep us going. We've reached more than 40% of our goal!

But it's not over yet! We need help ⬇️ 1/5

internetfreedom.in/iff-needs-your…
We are India's first line of defense against digital authoritarianism. We file critical litigation and engage in crucial policy advocacy. We hold India’s elected representatives accountable for their decisions on our behalf. Today, we need your help. 2/5

internetfreedom.in/donate/
If you've donated already, thank you for seeing the critical value in IFF’s work. But we still need your help, and your support matters!

There are still ways you can help IFF reach stability for 2022 👇🏽

🕸 Amplify our fundraiser
🕸 Recommend IFF's work to friends & family [3/5] Give us a shoutout! Talk about digital rights! Recommend our
Read 5 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

:(