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Aug 18 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
#KeepItOn: @CMOfficeAssam announced internet suspensions in Assam to prevent cheating in exams.

🧵on our representation to the Hon’ble CM asking:
👉to refrain from suspending internet, and
👉consider less intrusive means to conduct the exams

(1/5)
drive.google.com/file/d/1p9F3JG…
The Issue:
The Government of Assam intends to suspend mobile internet services for 4 hours each on Aug 21 and Aug 28 to ensure ‘smooth conduct of government exams’. As of now, a copy of the suspension order (if there is one) has not been published. (2/5)
hindustantimes.com/india-news/ass…
In our representation, we highlighted the issues with this shutdown as:
1⃣Internet can only be suspended for a public emergency or public safety threat
2⃣West Bengal HC has already held that internet can't be suspended to prevent cheating in exams
(3/5)
internetfreedom.in/calcutta-hc-st…
3⃣The Assam Government’s decision to suspend internet is contrary to the SC's directions in the Anuradha Bhasin Judgement.
4⃣Internet disruptions affect people’s right to practice their professions, earn a livelihood & access healthcare or education.
#Keepiton

(4/5)
Internet access is a *fundamental right*!

Affected by the shutdowns on Aug. 21st or 28th? Write to us at reportnetban@internetfreedom.in today.

Help our efforts to resist such unlawful internet shutdowns by donating or becoming an IFF member!👇

(5/5)
internetfreedom.in/donate/

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More from @internetfreedom

Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) Profile picture
Aug 19
🚨ALERT: Hey train travellers, your data will soon be monetised by the govt. & that too, in the absence of a data protection legislation! @IRCTCofficial has uploaded a tender to appoint a consultant for digital data monetisation.🧵on what this means. 1/8
irctc.com:8080/IRCTC/download… Image
The stated objective behind this move is to generate revenue for the IRCTC, approximately up to INR 1000 crores. The consultant will be expected to study the data of Passenger, Freight & Parcel business as well as any vendor-related data from applications of Indian Railways. 2/8
Per the tender, customer data to be studied includes, inter alia, 'Name, Age, Mobile No., Gender, address, E-Mail ID, No. of Passenger, Class of Journey, Payment Mode, Login/Password,' in addition to behavioural data such as payment & booking mode, frequency of journey, etc. 3/8
Read 9 tweets
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) Profile picture
Aug 18
BREAKING: A Booth Level Officer (‘BLO’) called an IFF Staffer today, directing them to give their Aadhaar Number or else they'll be deleted from the electoral roll. On digging deeper, the BLO provided the IFF Staffer with a letter that we're making public in this exclusive🧵1/7 Image
The letter we received from the BLO refers to a previous letter dated August 16, 2022 that asked BLOs to start house-to-house visits for ‘voluntary’ collection of Aadhaar details. But clearly, our Staffer's experience shows that this process is not voluntary at all.

2/7
This process is happening under the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021. When this Act was passed in Parliament, @KirenRijiju had told @ndtv that the process will be voluntary. So, what happened?

The rules @MLJ_GoI introduced, made it all mandatory!
3/7
 ndtv.com/india-news/ele…
Read 7 tweets
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) Profile picture
Aug 17
In response to our RTI request, @DelhiPolice revealed they deem facial recognition tech results over 80% similarity as positive, even using it in Kisan Rally riots & other cases!🧵on why this is dystopian but first an appeal to help us fight such use:
1/n
 internetfreedom.in/donate/
The information we got raises concerns as:
👉80% is a vague threshold
👉there are no proper regulations to prevent misuse
👉use of FRT in sensitive investigations leaves the door open for targeting minorities 2/n
internetfreedom.in/delhi-polices-…
.@Kanika_Saxena_ reported in @EconomicTimes how the 80% threshold in facial recognition tech is deemed a failure by experts & is unsafe for public use. But Delhi Police used FRT in Jahangir Puri & other sensitive cases with no privacy impact assessment.3/n
Read 6 tweets
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) Profile picture
Aug 17
The #MonsoonSession of the Parliament concluded on August 8 and was the 17th Parliamentary session to be cut short. Read how this session fared for your digital rights in terms of productivity, unanswered questions posed by MPs & key legislations. 🧵1/7
internetfreedom.in/monsoon-sessio…
Last month we identified 2 legislation pieces to be debated in this Session:
1⃣Competition (Amendment) Bill, '22
2⃣Draft Data Protection Bill, '21
The former was introduced in the Lok Sabha & the latter, shockingly withdrawn.

How does this impact you? 2/7
internetfreedom.in/legislative-br…
Leaving Indians vulnerable without a data protection law, this withdrawal not only sets us back 4 years but, coupled with the unproductivity of this session, reveals a huge setback for digital rights in the country. 3/7
Read 7 tweets
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) Profile picture
Mar 29
Short statement: The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 was introduced yesterday in the Lok Sabha. It was done without any public consultation and tremendously undermines the privacy of ordinary citizens and undertrials. 1/n
It as per it’s objectives and reasons repeals the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, due to, “modern techniques to capture and record body measurements”. It further states, “it is necessary to expand the, “ambit of persons” whose measurements can be taken. 2/n
Contrasted against the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920 the proposed Bill has three expansions to increase surveillance powers. First, in terms of data points. Clause 2(1 (b) includes, “iris and retina scan…biological samples ad their analysis, behavioural attributes”. 3/n
Read 9 tweets
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) Profile picture
Mar 29
Want to register a domain? NIXI wants to store your Aadhaar through EKYC details in a “perfect manner and a decent way”. It does provide alternatives like PAN Card, Passport and Election Cards. Bonus? Re-verification on renewals. 1/4
Harmless? There have been proposals for linking social media accounts with Aadhaar. This may be cited as a precedent. Further, such linking is without a clear legal basis and violates the Supreme Court’s privacy decision. 2/4
This notification was informed to us in response to a first appeal related to our RTI request on the ‘two domain per person’ policy. Neither the notification for Aadhaar EKYC, nor the “two domain per person” policy was put up for consultation. 3/4
Read 4 tweets

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